Virginia Landlord Sentenced to 17 Years for Exploiting Black Tenants and Stealing COVID Relief Funds.
David L. Merryman, a 59-year-old landlord from Virginia, will spend nearly two decades behind bars for orchestrating a scheme that preyed on vulnerable Black tenants in low-income neighborhoods... Continue reading here ▶
Merryman’s shocking abuse included racial harassment, fraudulent financial practices, and renting out homes in deplorable conditions.
Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Owning more than 60 rental properties in Newport News and Hampton, Merryman specifically targeted low-income Black tenants with few housing options.
The properties were in disrepair, with holes in walls and ceilings, leaky plumbing, and rodent infestations. Despite these issues, Merryman demanded multiple security deposits and advance rent payments, promising repairs he never made.
In one case, Merryman rented a home in October 2022 to a Black tenant with a broken stove, refrigerator, and a bathroom tub with a hole in it. He collected $2,600 in initial fees, plus $1,150 for combined rent and deposits.
When the tenant asked for repairs, Merryman responded with racial insults, saying, “You people, man, it’s always the Black ones that got to have the problem moving in.”
Intimidation and Violence
Merryman’s abuse went beyond financial exploitation. In February 2023, he entered the backyard of a tenant’s home unannounced, accompanied by several men.
When the tenant confronted him, Merryman threatened him with a brick and asked one of the men if he had a gun. The group left after Merryman hurled racial slurs, including, “You Black motherf—ers” and “F—ing n—ers.”
A Pattern of Fraud
Between 2019 and January 2023, Merryman repeatedly scammed tenants by charging high initial payments and quickly evicting them to repeat the scheme with new renters. He exploited pandemic-era rent relief programs by forging tenants’ signatures to pocket federal and state relief funds.
In one egregious case, Merryman forged the signature of a tenant hospitalized in 2021, securing $15,100 in rent relief. While the woman was still in the hospital, Merryman evicted her, discarded her belongings, and towed her car.
Justice Served
Merryman was convicted of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and race-based interference with housing and employment. U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber condemned his actions: “Landlords have a responsibility to uphold housing rights and human dignity. Mr. Merryman deliberately targeted families of color with limited means and housing options, and he is paying a heavy price for his racial discrimination and fraud.”
Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, added: “Merryman used his position of power to exploit tenants’ economic vulnerability. His victims were often parents trying to keep a roof over their family’s heads, only to be met with racial harassment and unsuitable living conditions.”