McDonald, husband, Poe booked into RSW Jail Friday afternoon, August 23

Samuel David North after booking into RSW Jail Friday afternoon – Photos RSW Jail website

Following another week of Economic Development Authority Special Grand Jury interviews former EDA Executive Director Jennifer Rae McDonald, her husband, Samuel “Sammy” David North and Donald Poe were booked into the Rappahannock-Shenandoah-Warren County Jail (RSW Jail) in the late afternoon and early evening hours of Friday, August 23.

According to the RSW Jail website, North was booked into the facility at 5:25 p.m. on two felony counts of Obtaining Money by False Pretenses and one felony count of Money Laundering – “Financial Transaction, proceeds from known felony activity”.

Jail records showed McDonald being booked at 6:22 p.m. The jail website list of charges against her remained at 14. So it was not immediately clear if she was facing additional charges or had been booked on a bond violation. A call to the jail booking department indicated that online buffering of information on McDonald could indicate she was still being processed into the jail. The counts against McDonald include six Fraud – Obtain Money by False Pretenses; five Money Laundering counts and three Embezzlement charges. Since the EDA indictments are coming from the Grand Jury sealed there is no further detail on the charges available at this point.

Poe was shown being booked at 6:31 p.m. Friday evening on one count of Money Laundering – “Financial Transaction, proceeds from known felony activity”.

McDonald was arrested on May 24 on eight initial counts. She was twice served with additional charges while incarcerated. After twice being denied bond as a flight risk by Judge Clifford L. Athey, she was granted $50,000 secured bond on July 31, by newly-placed Judge Bruce D. Albertson.

Earlier mug shot of Jennifer McDonald while initially incarcerated in July

The special grand jury that has handed down criminal charges, now against four people, McDonald, her former EDA Administrative Assistant Michelle “Missy” Henry, business partner Donald Poe and now her husband, was empanelled within a day of the EDA’s initial $17.6 million civil suit being filed on March 26. The amount of assets seeking recovery has since been raised to over $20 million.

A press release issued today indicated the EDA grand jury has requested a six-month extension to continue its inquiry. It was also requested that Assistant Warren County Commonwealths’ Attorney Bryan Layton continue as the lead prosecutor of the grand jury as Commonwealth’s Attorney Brian Madden prepares to take a seat on the judicial bench.

McDonald was the central figure in the nine defendant EDA civil action. Other defendants included McDonald’s two real estate companies, D’BOYZ and MoveON8, ITFederal LLC and its CEO Truc “Curt” Tran; Earth Right Energy LLC and its principals Poe and Justin Appleton and the late Warren County Sheriff Daniel McEathron.

Like McDonald, after spending some time in jail, both Henry and Poe were granted secured bonds. Henry was granted $2500 unsecured bond on July 23 after twice having a bond hearing continued in the wake of her June 24 arrest. McDonald and Poe were granted $50,000 and $20,000 secured bonds by Judge Bruce D. Albertson on July 31. Poe was arrested on July 23 on two financial counts related to EDA affairs.

No hearing dates were yet posted for McDonald, North or Poe.

Donald Poe upon becoming the third EDA defendant booked into RSW Jail the early evening of Aug. 23.

B&G Goods William Lambert makes it four EDA arrests on August 23