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Local grocery facing probe in VRE fraud
Police have obtained a search warrant for Nader's Grocery in downtown Fredericksburg.
Date published: 1/17/2007
By KELLY HANNON One or both owners of a downtown Fredericksburg grocery store are being investigated in connection with a large theft of money from the Virginia Railway Express, court records show. Police looking into more than $200,000 worth of missing funds recently seized items from Nader's Grocery at 508 Caroline Street as part of the investigation. An affidavit for a search warrant filed yesterday in Fredericksburg Circuit Court lists Peter and Ainese Kang as the owners of the grocery store. The document frequently mentions "Kang," but never specifies which Kang is being referenced. An employee answering the phone at Nader's Grocery yesterday said neither Kang was available to comment. Detective Ed Milner of the Alexandria Police Department is investigating possible charges of receiving stolen property, money laundering and embezzlement, the affidavit states. The VRE main offices are in Alexandria. The store is being investigated in connection with Jessica Funk of Lake Ridge, a former VRE accounting employee, who had a related embezzlement charge sent to an Alexandria grand jury in May of last year. The affidavit states that Funk was fired and prosecuted for her role in the theft of funds, but the result of that prosecution was not available last night. A VRE audit done eight months after Funk was fired revealed that $203,705 worth of Metrocheks were missing, the affidavit states. The Metrochek program gives federal workers up to $110 a month to spend on public transit, including VRE. Commuters can redeem their Metrochek for VRE tickets at 13 locations in the Washington area, including Nader's Grocery, which is across from the Fredericksburg train station. Whistle Stop Coffee at the Quantico train station and 7-Eleven at 327 Deacon Road in Stafford also accept Metrocheks. The $110 maximum is not enough to pay for a full month of tickets. A monthly VRE pass from Fredericksburg to Union Station costs $243.70. Commuters would give their Metrochek to Nader's, then pay the remainder of the balance with cash or checks. In the audit, VRE learned another vendor location, Casey's Gift Shop in Washington, D.C., submitted a $227,528.22 payment to Funk in 2005. The payment was a combination of cash and Metrocheks. The cash was reported, but $203,705 in Metrocheks was not. Funk processed this transaction, the affidavit said.
Date published: 1/17/2007
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