Cypress fraud trial delayed to March after defendant lacks witness subpoenas; Judge releases her on bond

By Linda Cicoira

Fifty-four prospective jurors called for duty in a criminal trial in Northampton Circuit Court on Tuesday will be paid $50 each for showing up, but were told they weren’t needed after a controversial fraud case was continued until March.

Lisa Renia Cypress, a 61-year-old registered nurse with a master’s degree, was ready to represent herself against the 51 charges that could result in a maximum of 380 years in prison.

The indictments allege Cypress, the first trustee for the Accomack Powhatan Indian Nation and a member of Virginia’s Gingaskin Tribe, maliciously filed liens or encumbrances for Indiantown Park and a PNC parcel near Eastville, both of which she was unsuccessful in claiming in a civil action in U.S. District Court two years ago.

The indictments also allege she maliciously filed liens or encumbrances for historic Eyre Hall farm, the 1765 Eyreville brick house and property, Smith Beach parcels, Hermitage Farm, parcels in the Bay Creek development in Cape Charles, Bayside Village parcels, Pocahontas Farm, and the former Rosenwald School in Cape Charles, which is owned by a restoration initiative.

The defendant was also indicted on counts of conspiring to file the fraudulent claims and soliciting another to file them. In addition, she was charged with failure to appear after Cypress didn’t show up for a June hearing, which resulted in her bond being revoked.

She was arraigned on the allegations while jurors waited in the hallway. When Judge Lynwood W. Lewis Jr. asked a series of questions typical for a defendant, it was learned that she hadn’t been able to subpoena her list of witnesses while she was in the Eastern Shore Regional Jail for the last two months. She also complained about the validity of the charges.

Cypress wanted to know where the co-conspirators she was alleged to have solicited were and how the specific code sections noted in her indictments were applicable.

“These are legal questions,” the judge said. “You can make those questions available to the jury.”

After a short recess, the judge said that while Cypress sent a notice to the court clerk with her witness list, it was not done properly. Some of the witnesses live out of state or are public officials. In both cases, certain processes must be followed, the judge said. It is not the clerk’s job to give legal advice. That’s why on at least two occasions, Lewis said, he had advised the defendant to accept the help of court-appointed attorneys, both of whom she rejected.

The judge said “the remedy” would be to continue the case.

At first, Cypress didn’t want that. “I need this to go forward,” she said. “I can rock this out. I don’t need the witnesses. I’ve been in jail for two months.”

Commonwealth’s Attorney Jack Thornton then agreed to her being free on bond until the new date. “If she will give her promise that she will appear,” he said. Thornton said she had previously said she wouldn’t participate.

Cypress took his statement as “retaliation of the First Amendment,” which is freedom of speech. “I can say whatever, (but) it doesn’t mean I won’t show up,” she said.

“Words do have meaning,” the judge interjected.