David Merryman, a 59-year-old landlord in Virginia, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for defrauding Black tenants, harassing them with racial slurs, and stealing their identities to claim COVID relief funds.
Merryman owned over 60 rental properties in Newport News and Hampton, mostly in low-income areas, and rented them to poor Black tenants with limited housing options... Continue reading here ▶
Prosecutors revealed that these homes were in terrible condition, with issues like holes in the walls and ceilings, leaks, and rodent infestations. Despite this, Merryman demanded high deposits and rent, often without making promised repairs.
In one case in 2022, Merryman rented a home to a Black man with a broken stove, refrigerator, and bathtub. He charged the tenant multiple deposits totaling over $3,700 but ignored requests to fix the house.
When the tenant complained, Merryman responded with racist comments, saying, “It’s always the Black ones that have problems.”
In early 2023, Merryman entered the tenant’s backyard without permission and, during a confrontation, threatened the man with a brick. He escalated the situation by making racial slurs and asking someone with him if they had a gun, further intimidating the tenant.
Prosecutors described Merryman’s pattern of fraud: he would collect large deposits and rent from tenants, fail to make repairs, and then quickly evict them to repeat the scheme with new tenants.
During the COVID pandemic, he also forged tenant signatures to steal relief funds intended to help renters. In one case, he evicted a woman while she was in the hospital and discarded all her belongings, even though he had taken $15,100 in relief funds using her name.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said Merryman “deliberately targeted families of color with limited means and housing options.” She emphasized that landlords are legally responsible for protecting the housing rights and dignity of their tenants, a duty Merryman failed to uphold.
FBI Special Agent Brian Dugan added, “Merryman used his position as a landlord to exploit his tenants’ economic vulnerability. He harassed and subjected them to unlivable conditions, preying on families just trying to keep a roof over their heads.”
Merryman’s actions, which combined racial harassment, fraud, and exploitation, have now resulted in a lengthy prison sentence and justice for his victims.
