NEWS RELEASE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
John L. Brownlee United States Attorney Brian McGinn Public Affairs Specialist |
BB&T Building 310 1st Street, S.W., Room 906 Roanoke, Virginia 24011 (540) 857-2974 FAX (540) 857-2179 |
March 17, 2008
FORMER GREENE COUNTY DEPUTY SENTENCED TO SERVE 27 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR VIOLATING THE MANN ACT AND
MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS TO FBI AGENTS
United States Attorney John L. Brownlee announced today that former Greene County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Leftery N. “Terry” Tsouroutis, age 38, formerly of Greene County, Virginia, was sentenced to serve 27 months in a federal prison for violating The Mann Act and Making False Statements to FBI Agents. The Honorable Norman K. Moon, in United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville, imposed the 27 month prison term on Mr. Tsouroutis. Today’s sentence and punishment was imposed after Mr. Tsouroutis, on December 17, 2007, pleaded guilty to transporting a 19-year old state prisoner across state lines for the purpose of engaging her in prostitution. Mr. Tsouroutis also pleaded guilty to making several false statements to FBI Special Agents.
“Today’s sentence affirms the important principle that no one is above the law,” said United States Attorney John Brownlee today. “Mr. Tsouroutis was a police officer who abused his position of trust by targeting a vulnerable young woman for his own gratification. We are grateful to the Court for imposing this significant sentence.”
The facts of the case are as follows.
On November 16, 2001, authorities in Greene County, Virginia, and Albemarle County, Virginia, issued arrest warrants for a 19-year old prisoner (the “victim”). The victim had been charged with various charges including Burglary, Robbery, Credit Card Theft, and Failure to Appear (felony).
On February 9, 2002, the victim was arrested in Baltimore, Maryland, on the outstanding Virginia arrest warrants after a police sweep of local prostitutes. Baltimore authorities detained the victim and housed her at the local Baltimore jail. On February 11, 2002, Baltimore authorities notified Greene County that the victim had been detained and was subject to extradition. Greene County had 10 days to travel to Baltimore and return the victim to Greene County.
On February 21, 2002, the defendant, Greene County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) Lieutenant Leftery N. Tsouroutis took a GCSO rookie deputy, Greg Stang, with him to Baltimore to pick up the victim. The defendant drove his GCSO issued unmarked Ford Explorer which did not have a cage to divide prisoners from the deputies. Tsouroutis drove the SUV, and Stang rode in the front passenger seat. Tsouroutis, who was the investigator for the Greene County charges, knew that she was a prostitute and drug user. He had also in November 2001 prepared a report stating that he believed that the victim was avoiding the defendant because she did not want to go to jail.
After dark, Tsouroutis and Stang took custody of the victim at the Baltimore City Jail and placed her in the Explorer. The victim was still a prisoner. During the ride from Baltimore to Greene County, Tsouroutis sat in the back of the Explorer with the victim, and Stang drove. They spoke about her life, including the fact that she was a stripper, and he told her that he had volunteered to pick her up.
When they arrived in Greene County, Tsouroutis directed Deputy Stang to drive to the GCSO. When they arrived at the GCSO, Tsouroutis told Stang he could go home. Stang complied and left Tsouroutis alone with the victim. Tsouroutis then transported the victim to the Orange County Magistrate's Office. The two were alone. On the way to the magistrate's office in Orange County, Tsouroutis told the victim that he would take care of her charges if she had sex with him. Tsouroutis also wanted the victim to buy drugs for him as an informant. Tsouroutis offered the victim money and freedom in exchange for sex.
The victim appeared before the magistrate in the early morning hours of February 22, 2002. Tsouroutis did not inform the magistrate that the victim was an extradition case. Upon request, a provision was inserted into the bond paperwork stating that the victim was to have daily contact with the defendant. The magistrate has never before or since been asked to make that a condition of release. The magistrate thereafter released the victim on an unsecured bond.
Within hours or days of her release and for approximately three months thereafter, the defendant engaged in numerous sexual acts with the victim at various locations in Greene County, including the defendant’s marital home. In exchange for the sex, in part, the defendant paid her money and kept her out of jail even when she missed court and faced new charges. The defendant taped several of his sexual encounters with the victim. The United States would have entered a copy of the tape into evidence. The tape reveals conversations about payment for sex, missed court dates, frustration with the victim for continuing to get in trouble, and also contains statements wherein the defendant tells the victim to act like a “whore” and tells her that she must do what he tells her to do. The tape demonstrates that the sex was in exchange for money or other consideration which fulfills the definition of prostitution. The defendant admits that he transferred the victim from Maryland to Virginia with the intent to engage her in prostitution.
On February 12, 2007, agents from the FBI interviewed Tsouroutis. During that interview Tsouroutis made numerous false statements about his actions with the victim and her mother.
The case was investigated by The Federal Bureau of Investigation. United States Attorney John Brownlee and Assistant U.S. Nancy Healey prosecuted the defendant. For further information, please contact Mr. Brian McGinn at (540) 857-2974.