A man from Virginia, aged 59, has been given a prison sentence of almost twenty years for his actions of harassing Black tenants by using racial slurs and stealing their identities in order to access COVID relief funds.
David L. Merryman, a landlord with over 60 rental properties in Newport News and Hampton, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison. He was found guilty of committing wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and engaging in race-based interference with housing and employment.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the properties were mainly situated in low-income neighborhoods. The majority of tenants were underprivileged Black individuals who had limited housing options. The prosecution revealed that these homes were in deplorable conditions, with ceilings and walls riddled with holes, leaks, and infestations.
Merryman, a white individual, not only harassed his tenants but also subjected them to racial insults while deceiving them through the unjust practice of demanding multiple security deposits. Despite accepting the money, he failed to fulfill his responsibility of making the required repairs.
In October 2022, a Black man rented a home from Merryman, only to find that it lacked a working stove and refrigerator, as well as a bathroom tub with a hole in it. Merryman assured the tenant that he would address these issues and collected an “initial deposit” of $1,000, followed by a “move-in deposit” of $1,600 two weeks later, according to the indictment. Additionally, the tenant was required to pay a “combination of rent/deposit” totaling $1,150. However, when the tenant asked Merryman to resolve the problems, the landlord responded with a racially insensitive remark, stating, “you people, man, it’s always the Black ones that have to encounter problems when moving in.”
A man has been accused by federal authorities of convincing his elderly neighbor, who had dementia, to adopt him and then stealing more than $1 million from him.
Between 2019 and January, Merryman allegedly engaged in a pattern of fraudulently obtaining significant initial payments, such as security deposits, prepaid rent, and other fees for rental homes that were in poor repair. Prosecutors claim that he would then proceed to swiftly evict the tenants in order to repeat the same scheme with new individuals.
According to a press release by Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, it was revealed that David Merryman specifically singled out families of color who had limited means and housing options. Aber emphasized that landlords are legally obligated to uphold housing rights and protect the human dignity of their tenants. Unfortunately, Merryman failed to fulfill this responsibility and is now facing severe consequences for engaging in racial discrimination and fraud.
During the pandemic, Merryman took advantage of the relief funds that were allocated by federal and state lawmakers for renters. In a deceitful act, he forged the signatures of some of his tenants to fraudulently obtain the funds for himself. Adding insult to injury, Merryman proceeded to evict or intimidate the very same people whom he had stolen from. One heartbreaking case involved a tenant who had diligently paid her rent for six years, only to be faced with eviction after losing her job due to medical issues that required hospitalization.
David Merryman, a landlord, has been accused of exploiting his position of power and the economic vulnerability of his tenants to maximize his own profits. Brian Dugan, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, stated that Merryman targeted tenants with limited housing options and subjected them to racial harassment and living conditions that were unsuitable. Many of his victims were parents who simply wanted to provide a stable roof over their family’s heads.
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