ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Tasheik Ashanti Champean, 46, of Suitland, Md., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery and murder of a man at a residence in the Centreville area of Fairfax County, Va., on May 17, 2010. 

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Lt. Colonel James A. Morris, Acting Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Richard W. Marianos, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement. 

Champean pleaded guilty on Dec. 7, 2012, to conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act robbery and use of a firearm in a crime of violence causing death. Champean faces a maximum penalty of life in prison when he is sentenced on March 1, 2013.

            According to the plea agreement and other court records, Champean conspired with Reynard Lazaro Prather and an unnamed individual to rob the owner of several check cashing facilities at gunpoint at the owner’s residence in Centreville, where the conspirators believed the target kept the stores’ proceeds.

            On May 17, 2010, Champean and Prather drove from Maryland to a shopping center in Virginia, where a third co-conspirator met them and drove them to the target’s residence where he dropped them off. Champean, who was armed with a semi-automatic pistol, entered the target’s garage with his partner – who was also armed with a semi-automatic pistol – to await the target’s arrival. While waiting, Champean and Prather were discovered by Jose Cardona, an employee of the owner, and the owner’s son. During the struggle that followed, Cardona was shot and killed by one of the two men.

            On Feb. 22, 2012, Prather pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act robbery, use of a firearm in a crime of violence, and use of a firearm in a crime of violence causing death.  On June 1, 2012, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison. 

            This case was investigated by the Fairfax County Police Department and the ATF.  Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Rich and Zachary Terwilliger are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

 

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