BY KEITH EPPS
The purported leader of a group that authorities say conned residents out of thousands of dollars was ordered yesterday to serve six months in prison.
Bryan N. Josemans, 50, of King George was convicted of one felony, conspiracy to commit larceny by false pretenses, and four misdemeanors.
He was sentenced to a total of seven years in prison with all but six months suspended. Josemans had no prior criminal record.
According to the evidence presented by prosecutors Jim Peterson and Mark McDonald, Josemans headed a group that went door to door soliciting money under the pretense of assisting law enforcement.
Josemans was not one of the door-to-door solicitors.
The solicitors identified themselves as being with the National Organization of Deputy Sheriffs.
Court records indicate that while such a group exists, it was not licensed to solicit in Virginia.
An investigation began on Feb. 27, 2007, when the Stafford Sheriff's Office received a complaint about solicitors on Camden and Winterberry drives in Clearview Heights in southern Stafford.
Deputy M.E. Steininger responded and a solicitor told Steininger he was collecting money for families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty and claimed NODS was a nonprofit organization.
The investigation revealed that NODS had been collecting money in a number of localities. Between Oct. 4, 2004, and August of 2006, a total of $357,502 was deposited in a NODS bank account, court records show.
According to an affidavit, a $2,100 donation to the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office in April of last year was the only money ever received by law enforcement out of that account. The Fairfax office declined the gift.
Josemans is the third person convicted thus far in connection with the scam. Another person has a trial scheduled next week, while charges against a fifth person were dropped yesterday.
The stiffest sentence thus far is the 41/2-year term a jury gave 45-year-old Larry Moorman earlier this year.
Moorman, who prosecutors agreed was the lowest man on the company totem pole, rejected a deal in which he would have received no jail time, and instead chose to have a jury trial.
Josemans, who was represented by attorney Mark Gardner, decided not to take his chances with a jury. He entered Alford pleas to the charges, meaning that he does not admit guilt but didn't want to risk a trial.
Gardner tried to persuade Judge J. Martin Bass to allow Josemans to serve his sentence under home electronic incarceration.
Gardner put on several witnesses who vouched for Josemans' character and said he had raised money legitimately for a number of charitable organizations.
Peterson said it would a "absurd" to allow Josemans to serve his time in his mansion.
Bass denied Gardner's request, and noted that the size of Josemans' house had nothing to do with his decision.
Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
Email: kepps@freelancestar.com