Bank Robbers Caught
<bt>A woman who allegedly robbed a bank Friday, Aug. 5, in Sterling was apprehended and charged with robbery this
weekend by Loudoun Sheriff's deputies.
According to the Sheriff's Office, Peggy V. Membreno, 42, of no fixed address, was taken into custody Saturday night in the area of Route 9 and Route 7 near Leesburg. A concerned citizen contacted authorities around 10:30 p.m. after they saw the woman next to a car that was pulled over on the side of the roadway.
According to the report, during the initial contact with the woman, deputies learned she was wanted on two outstanding felony warrants in Fairfax and Prince William counties. Membreno also matched the suspect description in the robbery of the Provident Bank Friday evening, according to the Sheriff's Office. The bank is located inside the
Shopper's Food Warehouse in the Sugarland Crossing Shopping Center.
In the robbery the woman allegedly walked inside the bank and presented a note to a bank teller asking for money. She never brandished nor implied she had a firearm during the course of the robbery. She left the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.
This is the second arrest of a bank robbery suspect by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office in the past week. Last Thursday Investigators arrested a Leesburg man in connection with the armed robbery of a Sterling bank in July.
Joseph Kevin Holland, 35, was charged with armed robbery for the July 8 robbery of the Corporate America Family Credit Union located in the 45200 block of Business Court in Sterling.
Holland was accused of walking into the bank shortly before 9 a.m., wearing a ski mask and brandishing a firearm, as he demanded money from more than one teller.
Both Membreno and Holland were held without bond at the Loudoun Adult Detention Center.
<sh>Fraud Alert
<bt>The United States Secret Service recently alerted the public to a telemarketing scam currently operating in the
Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
According to the release, in the scam a telemarketer contacts the victim offering them a product for a low introductory fee of about $3.95. The remaining fees will be electronically withdrawn from the victim's checking account after a trial period and the victim provides the necessary account information. Products range from prepaid gasoline cards to movie tickets.
The victims are told they can cancel the service during the trial period and no additional charges will be incurred if they are not satisfied. When the victim receives no services and attempts to cancel, they receive multiple excuses and numbers to call. Their account is debited for fees up to $199 and usually by more than one of the suspect companies.
This ring is operating from Washington to New Hampshire but there have been no reports of such incidents in Loudoun County. Law enforcement officials remind residents not to provide financial information over the phone. The only time a person should provide credit card or bank account information is if the person has decided to make a purchase, after researching the company.
Anyone who believes he or she is a victim of fraud should call the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office or a local law enforcement agency.
<sh>Names Needed
<bt>The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services has initiated the public participation process to name three new park sites and one park access road located in the Lansdowne development. As a result of the approved zoning application, the county is to receive three proffered parks within the development.
The first park is a 51-acre parcel located along the eastern shore of Goose Creek between Cotton Bridge and the Potomac River. This is a passive river-front park that includes a nature trail, access to Goose Creek, a section of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, and a canoe/kayak launch facility with an all-weather surface parking lot accessed from River Pointe Drive.
The second park is a 71-acre parcel, located along the Potomac River. This is a passive river-front property with access to the Potomac River and Goose Creek. It features a parking lot, access trail to the Potomac, open fields and a section of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. Access to the property is from Squirrel Ridge Drive. In addition to a name for the park site, a name is needed for the road that leads into the parking lot.
The third parcel is an active recreational park with approximately 15 acres located off Kephart Drive. Amenities include two soccer fields, one baseball field, one basketball court, two picnic pavilion shelters, an enclosed rest room facility, two parking lots and a tot lot.
Anyone interested in proposing a name for the three park sites and/or the one access road can submit the recommendation via e-mail to prcs@loudoun.gov or in writing to Diane Ryburn, director, Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, 215 Depot Court, S.E., Leesburg, VA 20175. Include your full name, mailing address and phone number. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 2. For more information, call 703-777-0343.