A Chesterfield builder has been sentenced to 9 years in prison after he stole $1.2 million from lenders with the help of a paralegal and what prosecutors called “a species of Ponzi scheme.”

Joshua Brian Romano, 40, owned at least three businesses that flipped homes in the Richmond area, relying on outside investors to finance the purchases and up-front costs of renovating the homes. But that money was legally restricted to be used only on the projects that it was lent for, managed by a local law firm working on behalf of the investors.

Romano and a paralegal at that firm, Lindsay Epps Passmore, have now been convicted of circumventing those safeguards so that Romano could withdraw money from the law firm’s accounts as he pleased, spending money meant for new projects on older ones that had fallen behind, even as his debt grew ever more unmanageable.

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/chesterfield-house-flipper-gets-9-years-for-1-2-million-ponzi-scheme/

Rounds of rain in our forecast this week across Central Virginia, starting on Sunday.

Paul Pelosi attack body cam footage

Footage of the hammer attack against Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was released by a judge and obtained by KRON4 Friday morning.

David DePape was recorded on video by the Pelosi's home surveillance camera. He is seen breaking into their San Francisco home by smashing through glass.

Paul Pelosi 911 call

An audio tape was released Friday of David DePape being interrogated by a San Francisco Police Department Lt. Carla Hurley. DePape confesses to attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer and explains his motive behind the attack.

KRON4's Dan Kerman reports.

Two suspects are now facing second-degree murder charges after a Chesterfield man was shot and killed in his own driveway last year.

Central Virginia police departments have finished a crime prevention tactic program that’s brought in good results.

A first-of-its-kind project is coming to the Six Points area of Richmond’s Northside.

Some bills that would put more restrictions on guns made it through a state Senate committee this week.

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia said he will run for re-election in 2024, easing Democrats’ concerns of having a new candidate up against a Republican after the GOP’s statewide victories two years ago.

Sen. Kaine (D-Va.), who has been in the Senate since 2013, announced his re-election bid alongside his wife, Anne Holton, outside a Richmond cafe where he was hosting an economic development roundtable with young state workers, advocates and others.

Democratic senators encouraged Kaine to pursue a third term, he said, but President Joe Biden did not ask him to run. Kaine, 64, listed four reasons for his decision, which he said he “grappled” with and made just last week.

https://www.wric.com/news/virginia-news/sen-tim-kaine-running-for-third-term/