McDonald served with eight new felony warrants from EDA investigation

Jennifer McDonald has been served with new felony warrants while housed in the Fairfax County Jail – Photo/RSW Jail website.

The Fairfax Adult Detention Center confirmed Monday evening that former EDA Executive Director Jennifer McDonald had eight additional felony sealed indictments served on her Friday, June 21. Six of those new charges are embezzlement of over 200 and two are obtaining money by false pretenses over $200.

The date of the new warrants matches the final day of witness testimony last week before the Special Grand Jury empanelled to investigate potential criminality related to the EDA financial fraud investigation Warren County has spent $600,000 on thus far on behalf of the EDA.

The six new McDonald warrants mirror the first four warrants she was served with by Virginia State Police on May 24, two on the embezzlement felony and two on obtaining money by false pretense felony. No further information on exactly what aspects of the EDA financial fraud investigation the new charges relate to was immediately available.

However, an educated guess might be that they relate to the two felony counts of embezzlement of EDA assets McDonald’s former administrative assistant, Michelle “Missy” Henry was arrested for on Monday afternoon, June 24.

As recounted in our related story Henry’s name was prominent in the Cherry Bekaert financial investigation of EDA operations regarding the B&G Goods business the EDA financed in the old Stokes Mart building at East Main and Water Streets in downtown Front Royal.

McDonald has been incarcerated since May 24, twice being denied bond as a flight risk by Warren County Circuit Court Judge Clifford L. Athey Jr.

The former six-figure salaried EDA executive director was transferred to the Fairfax Jail from RSW Regional Jail on June 11. At the time RSW Jail Superintendent Russ Gilkison explained the transfer as an effort to normalize McDonald’s jail experience. Due at least in part to the high profile nature of the EDA financial scandal and high-running emotions throughout the community about it, McDonald had been kept in isolation for protective custody since her booking at RSW. The move to Fairfax where she and her cases are not front page news will allow McDonald to mix in with the general inmate population.

Henry is due in court Tuesday morning on the 9 a.m., morning docket. Legal representation and bond are likely topics of that hearing. It is not clear when a hearing on McDonald’s new criminal charges might be held or whether she would appear with her criminal attorney, Fairfax-based Peter Greenspun.

UPDATE: Second former EDA staffer arrested on embezzlement charges