U.S. Department
of Justice
United States v. Derickson Lawrence
Eastern District of Virginia – Norfolk Division
Criminal Case Number: 2:23-cr-00089-JAG-LRL
On July 13, 2023, the defendant, Derickson Lawrence, was named in an eight-count indictment charging him with wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Lawrence had his initial appearance on August 2, 2023 and was released on bond. Lawrence was later charged by second superseding indictment. Specifically, Lawrence was charged with 10 counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and a single count of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341. Following a five day jury trial, on March 22, 2024, the jury found Lawrence guilty as charged.
As found by the jury, Lawrence was involved in a wire and mail fraud scheme occurring from at least February 2016 to December 2019. He executed the scheme in two principal ways to obtain money by false pretenses:
- He purported to provide direct deposit and paycard services for Golden Corral restaurant employees. Instead of passing the wage monies Golden Corral provided the defendant on to Golden Corral employees, the defendant kept a substantial portion of those wage monies and used it for personal expenses and investments. As a result of the scheme, a local Golden Corral management company and Golden Corral employees suffered losses of wage monies that should have been paid to employees.
- He made false representations on a Paycheck Protection Program loan application to TD Bank and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Those representations included that in early 2020 he was paying payroll to employees, when in fact Lawrence was no longer paying any payroll in early 2020. Lawrence submitted forged banking documents in support of his Paycheck Protection Program loan application.
Lawrence’s sentencing is set for July 19, 2024 at 9:00 AM at the federal courthouse located at 600 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia 23510 before Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr.
Charging Document
Victim Information
Pursuant to the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3771, the Department of Justice is required to provide notice to individuals who may have been harmed as a direct result of the criminal offenses of which a defendant has been convicted. In this context, “harmed” is defined broadly and is not limited to monetary loss. This office uses the Victim Notification System (“VNS”) and other methods, including web pages and press releases, to ensure potential victims receive timely notice of public events related to a case. For more information, go to Victims Rights Act
A different federal law, the Mandatory Victim Restitution Act (“MVRA”), 18 U.S.C. § 3663A, governs restitution in this case. Restitution is a determination by the judge that a victim is entitled to monetary compensation for losses suffered as a direct result of a crime for which a defendant has been convicted. It is not a guarantee of payment. Under the MVRA, if a defendant is convicted of a crime carrying restitution as a penalty, the judge at sentencing determines who is a victim and in what amount they are entitled to restitution. In cases involving property crimes, including the fraud offenses with which the defendant is charged, restitution may generally only be awarded for the value of the property lost by the victim as a direct result of a defendant’s crime of conviction less the value of any property returned to the victim. Victims may also be entitled to restitution for expenses incurred while participating in the criminal investigation or prosecution or traveling to court proceedings for the case, such as lost income, child care, transportation, and other expenses. Restitution is generally not available for medical care, pain and suffering, emotional distress, or lost income caused by the defendant’s conduct, except in the limited context described above.
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