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Virginia
Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Mike Chapman, Virginia’s Sheriff Keeping Streets Safe Through Enforcement of the Law

Traffic stops and searches of motorists in Loudoun County have increased dramatically the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2024, sparking complaints from activists and some residents.

Va. education department plans to launch Office of Excellence and Best Practices

The Virginia Department of Education is preparing to launch a new Office of Excellence and Best Practices by hiring an executive director who will be responsible for fostering innovation, highlighting high-performing schools, and directing resources toward initiatives with a proven track record of improving student outcomes.

School Boards Are Failing Our Students, and Absenteeism Is Just the Symptom

In Loudoun County and across Virginia, public...

Crime

Arlington man sentenced to nine years for domestic violence

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Evan Omar Larsen, 23, appeared before the Loudoun County Circuit Court for sentencing for his convictions of one count of Abduction, one count of Unlawful Wounding, and one count of Strangulation.

Jason Miyares focuses on law and order ahead of the 2025 elections

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In an extensive interview conducted at his Richmond office earlier this week by Miyares - the son of Cuban refugees and the first Hispanic Virginian to be elected statewide - he insisted that the current situation in California was the result of poor leadership.

Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, ICE, & Keeping You Safe

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LCSO, ICE, and Keeping You Safe – Fact versus Fiction  Loudoun County, VA (June 12, 2025): The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) is recognized as a national leader in keeping our residents safe. Serious crime was down an additional 29% in the first quarter of 2025, and Loudoun continues to be the safest locality in the Washington metropolitan region. Unfortunately, LCSO’s commitment to your safety has been mischaracterized by a small number of political activists with a record of opposing public safety. There is fiction, and there are the facts. First, our relationship with U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): FICTION: The LCSO signed a new agreement with ICE to target people based on their immigration status. FACT: The agreement we signed with ICE, not yet in force, applies only to persons already at the Adult Detention Center (ADC) on unrelated criminal charges. It gives ICE extra time (up to 48 hours) to pick up criminal aliens upon their release from custody at our local jail. FICTION: Holding a detainee an extra day or two creates a heavy financial burden on Loudoun’s taxpayers. FACT: Most costs are fixed at our ADC, regardless of the jail population, and the average cost of holding a detainee longer amounts to about $4.50 per day.  Our agreement also provides that ICE will pay for any medical costs associated with that hold. That’s a small price to pay for public safety. Second, traffic enforcement: FICTION: The Latino community is being targeted in motor vehicle stops and searches.  FACT: Increased traffic enforcement is the most frequent request from our Board of Supervisors and the residents we serve, and motor vehicle stops are only conducted by patrol deputies when violations are observed. We have increased those efforts countywide – especially in eastern Loudoun where traffic is the greatest – and the result has been greater public safety.FICTION: Vehicle stops, searches, and arrests should be proportional to demographic population groups. If not, this indicates profiling. FACT:  We deploy our deputies based on data-driven analysis – where calls for service and crime trends are the greatest.  Eastern Loudoun has high population density and diversity, as well as the most traffic, crashes, calls for service and crime, so we deploy more deputies there. This is not profiling, and serious crime in eastern Loudoun was down 30% in the first quarter of this year.FICTION: The LCSO is stopping and searching vehicles based on immigration status. FACT: Vehicles stops and searches are done for cause, and immigration status has nothing to do with it. Vehicles are searched for one of three reasons: when there is probable cause related to potential criminal activity; as part of an inventory following an arrest; or following a request and consent. Our deputies never ask for a person’s immigration status, nor is that information available to them when they make a vehicle stop or arrest. FICTION: Residents are complaining about traffic enforcement in eastern Loudoun. FACT:  The LCSO has received few complaints about traffic enforcement and crime prevention, most of which have been orchestrated by persons with political agendas in conflict with public safety.Third, transparency: FICTION: The LCSO is not transparent with the information it releases. FACT: The LCSO is highly transparent. We regularly report to the community we serve and provide all releasable information in accordance with the Code of Virginia and Freedom of Information Act, and in coordination with the Loudoun County Attorney.  Information about detainers and warrants from other law enforcement agencies for persons arrested in Loudoun on local charges may be requested from those agencies. https://sheriff.loudoun.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=9860LCSO, ICE y su Seguridad - Realidad versus FicciónCondado de Loudoun, Virginia (12 de junio de 2025): La Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Loudoun (LCSO) es reconocida como líder nacional en la seguridad de nuestros residentes. Los delitos graves disminuyeron un 29 % en el primer trimestre de 2025, y Loudoun sigue siendo la localidad más segura del área metropolitana de Washington.Lamentablemente, el compromiso de la LCSO con su seguridad ha sido malinterpretado por un pequeño grupo de activistas políticos con un historial de oposición a la seguridad pública. Hay ficción y hay hechos.Primero, nuestra relación con el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de EE. UU. (ICE):FICCIÓN: La LCSO firmó un nuevo acuerdo con ICE para identificar a las personas según su estatus migratorio.REALIDAD: El acuerdo que firmamos con ICE, aún no vigente, se aplica únicamente a las personas que ya se encuentran en el Centro de Detención para Adultos (ADC) por cargos penales no relacionados. Le otorga a ICE tiempo adicional (hasta 48 horas) para detener a extranjeros delincuentes tras su liberación en nuestra cárcel local.FICCIÓN: Detener a un detenido uno o dos días más representa una pesada carga financiera para los contribuyentes del Condado de Loudoun.REALIDAD: La mayoría de los costos son fijos en nuestro Centro de Detención para Adultos (ADC), independientemente de la población carcelaria, y el costo promedio de retener a un detenido por más tiempo asciende a aproximadamente $4.50 por día. Nuestro acuerdo también estipula que ICE pagará cualquier costo médico asociado con esa detención. Es un pequeño precio que pagar por la seguridad pública.Segundo, la aplicación de las leyes de tránsito:FICCIÓN: La comunidad latina está siendo blanco de detenciones y registros de vehículos motorizados.REALIDAD: El aumento de las leyes de tránsito es la solicitud más frecuente de nuestra Junta de Supervisores y de los residentes a los que servimos, y las detenciones de vehículos motorizados solo las realizan los agentes de patrulla cuando se observan infracciones. Hemos incrementado estas medidas en todo el condado, especialmente en el este de Loudoun, donde hay mayor tráfico, y el resultado ha sido una mayor seguridad pública. FICCIÓN: Las detenciones, registros y arrestos de vehículos deberían ser proporcionales a los grupos demográficos de la población. De no ser así, esto indica perfilación.REALIDAD: Desplegamos a nuestros agentes basándonos en análisis basados en datos, donde las llamadas de servicio y las tendencias delictivas son mayores. La zona este de Loudoun tiene una alta densidad y diversidad poblacional, así como la mayor cantidad de tráfico, accidentes, llamadas de servicio y delincuencia, por lo que desplegamos más agentes allí. Esto no es perfilación, y la delincuencia grave en la zona este de Loudoun disminuyó un 30 % en el primer trimestre de este año.FICCIÓN: La LCSO detiene y registra vehículos basándose en su estatus migratorio. REALIDAD: Las detenciones y registros de vehículos se realizan con justificación, y el estatus migratorio no tiene nada que ver. Los vehículos se registran por una de tres razones: cuando existe una causa probable relacionada con una posible actividad delictiva; como parte de un inventario posterior a un arresto; o tras una solicitud y consentimiento. Nuestros agentes nunca preguntan por el estatus migratorio de una persona, ni tienen acceso a esa información cuando detienen o arrestan a una persona un vehículo. FICCIÓN: Los residentes se quejan de la aplicación de las leyes de tránsito en el este de Loudoun. REALIDAD: La LCSO ha recibido pocas quejas sobre la aplicación de las leyes de tránsito y la prevención del delito, la mayoría de las cuales han sido orquestadas por personas con agendas políticas en conflicto con la seguridad pública. Tercero, transparencia: FICCIÓN: La LCSO no es transparente con la información que divulga. REALIDAD: La LCSO es altamente transparente. Informamos periódicamente a la comunidad a la que servimos y proporcionamos toda la información disponible de conformidad con el Código de Virginia y la Ley de Libertad de Información, en coordinación con el Fiscal del Condado de Loudoun. Información sobre órdenes de detención y órdenes de arresto emitidas por otras agencias del orden público referente a personas arrestadas en Loudoun por cargos locales, se puede solicitar a dichas agencias. https://sheriff.loudoun.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=9860 

Vienna resident and former CIA employee sentenced for sharing top-secret information

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Former CIA analyst to spend three years in federal jail after pleading guilty for improperly sharing top-secret national defense information Asif William Rahman...

Mike Chapman, Virginia’s Sheriff Keeping Streets Safe Through Enforcement of the Law

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Traffic stops and searches of motorists in Loudoun County have increased dramatically the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2024, sparking complaints from activists and some residents.

Virginia Homeland Security Task Force Has Arrested Over 500 Criminal Illegal Immigrants, Over 130...

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The Virginia Homeland Security Task Force (VHSTF), a federal-state partnership established by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat transnational organized crime, gang violence and immigration violations across Virginia passed 500 arrests this week, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced Monday.  

Maryland man who punched Dulles Airport Gate agent to appear in court

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This week, a Maryland man who allegedly punched a Dulles International Airport gate agent is due to appear in federal court for the first time.

Police say student who made threats was armed with knives at school

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Police have charged a middle school student after they say he threatened a student with a blade.

Armed Robbery at Leesburg Convenience Store

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Loudoun County, VA (March 14, 2025) - The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) is investigating an armed robbery that occurred this morning, Friday, March 14, 2025, at a convenience store in Leesburg.

Bill to boost college opportunities for prisoners awaits Youngkin’s action

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A bill to boost higher education opportunities for prisoners cleared Virginia’s legislature with bipartisan backing and could soon be signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. 

Free Speech Will Never Be Free

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The concept of unrestricted speech, often referred to as "free speech," is a cornerstone of Western society and, more specifically, the United States. For...

The money was gambled: A local CFO is sentenced to 9 years in prison...

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John Hunter Raines was sentenced on Wednesday to nine years of federal prison for stealing millions from the Virginia Birth Injury Fund. The former CFO, who claimed to have been his victim, had a courtroom packed with his supporters as well as the families of children with disabilities.

A woman fatally shot at Chantilly residence by a man

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Fairfax County Police are investigating an alleged domestic shooting that resulted in a death in Chantilly.

A man was shot in Herndon near the Worldgate Shopping Center

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Around 2:40 pm today (Wednesday), officers from the Town of Herndon police department and Fairfax County Police Department were dispatched the 2100 block of Centreville Road.

Vienna / Oakton Doctor pleads guilty for prescribing drugs improperly, faces up to 20...

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David Allingham who owns Oakton Primary Care Center authorized the renewal of medications without physical examinations of patient between April 2019 and at least January 2024. According to The Department of Justice.

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