Dozens Charged in Virginia Crime Ring (ICYMI)

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- Investigations in Fairfax County and around Virginia have led to 43 people charged in Henrico County for over 740 crimes. The charges come after a two-year investigation into banking fraud, cigarette trafficking and money laundering that originated in Fairfax County.

A Fairfax County bank investigator's initial report led to detectives finding bank fraud at nine county locations. Fairfax Police and the FBI conducted a joint investigation, finding more than 80 suspects were involved.

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The bank investigator had reported suspects writing checks from accounts with no funds, but a detective also found suspects were fraudulently building up banking credit from deposits and withdrawals. The losses for the first bank that reported the incident were about $620,000.

Police said the suspects also rented cars cards by withdrawing money from debit cards, used Northern Virginia and Richmond-area addresses, and had a cigarette tax fraud and smuggling operation from in a Falls Church home in Fairfax County.

Police contacted authorities in Henrico and Chesterfield Counties after financial records showed suspects were making large purchases at Richmond-area gas stations and convenience stores.

The charges came April 24 after investigations from county police, the FBI, State Department, Homeland Security and a number of businesses. Henrico County charged the 43 suspects on 743 criminal charges April 24.

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