Brady sentenced to three years and restitution for wire fraud

By Linda Cicoira

Former Eastville Police Officer Jerry Keith Brady Jr. was found guilty and sentenced in U.S. District Court in Norfolk on Thursday to three years in prison for wire fraud and money laundering.

The term was 12 months less than what prosecutors had requested for 39-year-old Brady, of Belle Haven. He was given three years for each of the two convictions. The terms were set to run concurrently.

In addition, he was ordered to pay back $747,050. If Brady makes payments as ordered by the court, he will not have to pay interest. Monthly installments of at least $200.00 or 25% of net income, whichever is greater, would be expected until the debt is paid. Initially, Brady was charged in 12 indictments with fraudulently amassing about $820,000. He was also fined special assessments totaling $200.

Judge Jamar K. Walker permitted Brady to start serving his time on May 13, even though records indicated he was also remanded to the U.S. Marshal’s custody. He will be evaluated to determine if he needs mental health treatment. He will be placed in a low-security facility as close as possible to his family, court records stated.

The prosecutor’s office was authorized to conduct any appropriate discovery … to identify, locate, or dispose of forfeitable property. Upon release, Brady will be on supervised probation for three years.

Brady “worked as a trusted police officer in small, insular Eastern Shore communities for years,” the prosecutor wrote in the file. He was … well known in the community. What no one knew was that the defendant harbored a gambling problem. And to feed this problem, the defendant defrauded friends, acquaintances, and even strangers by convincing them that his position as a police officer meant he could be trusted.”

Prosecutors said Brady told the victims that “he was due to inherit a large amount of money from a recently deceased relative. Sometimes, he stated he was due to inherit land … the defendant claimed that the property or inheritance was tied up in probate court, and that he needed to pay hefty fees to settle the estate and get access to the property.” He “promised to repay his victims once these fees were paid and, in many instances, signed promissory notes to that effect.”

Instead, they contend, he used “the money to support his gambling addiction.” He made trips to casinos and gambled on online sports betting apps, but most of the money was gambled away at Queen machines or slot-style gambling machines set up at convenience stores. “The owners of these establishments told investigators that the defendant would sit there for hours gambling … His conduct occurred over approximately four years … and involved … at least 33 separate transactions.”

They said Brady returned to his victims multiple times and sought more money from them. When the time for repayment arrived, the defendant always had an excuse (as to) why he needed more time or more money … On at least one occasion, he obtained money from one victim and used it to partially repay another victim. The defendant’s scheme was massive in scope, intricately executed, and designed in such a way as to exploit the trust and confidence that the public has in officers of the law.”