[Archived] Four Indicted for Exploiting an Elderly Adult

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 21, 2017

On February 13, 2017, the Grand Jury for the City of Alexandria returned indictments against four co-conspirators relating to a scheme to defraud an 89-year old Alexandria citizen out of substantial amounts of money.

Each of the four co-conspirators was charged with one felony count of Conspiracy to Obtain Money by False Pretenses. The maximum penalty for this charge is 10 years to serve in the penitentiary. Under Virginia law, a criminal conspiracy is defined as an agreement between two or more people to commit a criminal offense through concerted action.

The following co-conspirators have been charged:

• Robert R. McCloud, Jr., a 37-year old resident of Culpeper, Virginia
• Pamela Ann McCloud, a 32-year old resident of Reva, Virginia
• Krystal Marie Mullins, a 28-year old resident of Culpeper, Virginia
• Gerald Scott Canard, a 25-year old resident of Culpeper, Virginia

 The indictments relate to an alleged scheme that operated in the City of Alexandria between February 2015 and January 2016. Over that time frame, the co-conspirators purported to operate a contracting business that was called "Trees Unlimited" a/k/a "Unlimited Property Enhancements." During the alleged conspiracy, the victim, who resided in the Taylor Run neighborhood, paid approximately $71,000 to the co-conspirators. The payments were ostensibly for landscaping and pest removal work; however, the work included items such as "putting mothballs in the attic" and the installation of a "squirrel alert system." The purported work also included more regular items such as roof repair.

Once the alleged conspiracy was uncovered, Alexandria Police detectives and Alexandria Code Enforcement inspectors investigated. An inspection of the victim's home revealed no evidence of the repairs allegedly completed by the co-conspirators.

Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan L. Porter made the following statement: "Given the nature of these charges and the fact that other vulnerable seniors may have been victimized, this case constitutes a matter of public import that justifies a limited release of information. I emphasize, however, that the co-conspirators are presumed to be innocent, that my office must prove any charge through the adduction of admissible evidence at trial and that the co-conspirators' guilt should not be inferred simply because they have been charged with a criminal offense."

"Should any member of the public feel that they have been victimized in a similar manner,  or should they know of someone who may have been, they should immediately contact the non-emergency line of the Alexandria Police Department at (703)746-4444."

Rule 3.6 of the Virginia State Bar's Rules of Professional Conduct for Attorneys states, in pertinent part: "A lawyer participating in or associated with the… prosecution … of a criminal matter that may be tried to a jury shall not make or participate in making an extrajudicial statement… that the lawyer knows, or should know, will have a substantial likelihood of interfering with the fairness of a trial by jury." Therefore, the Commonwealth is prohibited from discussing the evidence, its trial strategy or its work product prior to disposition of the matter.