A Hampton landlord faces more than 20 years in prison after pleading guilty Wednesday (JULY 31st) to multiple federal charges related to defrauding COVID relief programs.
David Merryman, owner of 23 rental properties in Hampton and 39 in Newport News, stands accused of racially harassing and evicting tenants before stealing their identities and seeking rental relief in their names.
“In many cases, he obtained significant sums of rent relief without telling the tenants, even evicting, or seeking to evict, the very same tenants for unpaid rent,” according to a release from the Department of Justice.
The 59-years-old Merryman is charged with race-based interference with housing and, in one case, employment. He also faces charges of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. He’s set to be sentenced on December 18.
According to the Department of Justice release, Merryman ran his scheme from 2019 to early 2024. Primarily renting to African American tenants in low-income neighborhoods, victims alleged Merryman harassed tenants with “slurs, comments about slavery, mocking comments, death threats” and more.
Federal prosecutors allege Merryman forged signatures, fabricated lease documents and filed fraudulent rent relief applications with the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development using his tenants’ personal information.
He could be facing up to 24 years in prison. The wire fraud charge carries up to 20 years, a charge of aggravated identity theft includes a minimum 2-year sentence, and he could get up to a year for each charge of race-based interference with housing.
