Judge rules Cypress competent to face trial on 51 fraud counts

By Linda Cicoira

After a few simple conversations with Lisa Renia Cypress, who represents herself as being a Gingaskin Tribe member, Judge Lynwood W. Lewis, of Northampton Circuit Court, found the woman competent to stand trial for the 51 fraud counts that allegedly involve her insistence that she has rights to local lands.

“I have not heard anything today to make me think she does not understand … the process,” Lewis said. “It’s one thing to be eccentric, it’s another thing to be incompetent,” the judge explained.

The court denied a request for a medical evaluation to determine Cypress’ competency. Commonwealth’s Attorney Jack Thornton favored her being evaluated. The prosecutor said the 59-year-old has a “worldview” that does not include Virginia laws, that have been applicable since 1776. “She doesn’t believe anything I say about the law,” he said. “The commonwealth just wants to make sure she understands.”

Richard Phillips, a lawyer appointed to represent Cypress, was also perplexed about her sanity. He said her tribe is not registered with the Department of the Interior. “I can’t get past” that the agency “wants to know (the answers to) basic questions to register this body to have rights that might apply … I can’t seem to get that out of her … I can’t seem to conclude where she is coming from … There are different laws for Indigenous people, but you have to be registered with the Department of the Interior… I think we need to understand, is this a delusion problem?”

I choose to speak for myself,” Cypress told the judge. “My charges are criminal charges. They are not about recognition … I do not need a lawyer … I’m not being charged with (my) worldview. I did not maliciously file deeds. Only one has my name on it. There are no named co-conspirators … so how could I conspire?” she asked.

Her sister, Sharon Cypress, was permitted to speak from her seat in the gallery. “My great-grandfather was an Indian one year, and a black man the next,” she said referring to records. “Her worldview has nothing to do with the charges against her,” the sister said. “She is competent.”

Lewis excused Phillips from the job. The judge then directed Patrick Bales to be her new attorney.

“Am I a hostage that I have to be represented by this man?” Cypress asked the judge.

“Humor me and talk to the man,” Lewis answered. “Just give Mr. Bales a try,” he urged her before she agreed.

Cypress was unsuccessful in claiming ownership of Indiantown Park and a PNC Bank parcel near Eastville in U.S. District Court last year in a lawsuit with Northampton County.

She was indicted in May on counts of maliciously filing liens or encumbrances in Northampton Circuit Court for two properties at Indiantown Park, the PNC Bank property in Eastville, the $4.4 million Eyre Hall farm, the historic 1765 Eyreville brick house and property, Smith Beach parcels, the $3.1 million 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. She was also indicted on counts of conspiring to file the fraudulent claims and soliciting another to file them.