A 59-year-old man from Virginia has been sentenced to nearly two decades in prison for targeting Black tenants with racial abuse and scamming them during the COVID-19 pandemic. David L. Merryman, who owned more than 60 rental homes in Newport News and Hampton, was convicted of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and using race to interfere with people’s housing and jobs.
Merryman’s properties were mostly in low-income neighborhoods, and he rented to Black families who had very few housing options. According to prosecutors, these homes were in terrible shape—ceiling holes, leaking pipes, and rodent infestations were just a few of the problems tenants had to deal with. Merryman didn’t just neglect the properties; he also used racial slurs and demanded multiple security deposits from tenants without fixing anything.
In one example from October 2022, Merryman rented a home to a Black man with no working stove, no refrigerator, and a bathtub with a hole in it. He promised to fix the issues but instead charged the tenant several deposits, including an initial $1,000, followed by $1,600 two weeks later, and then another $1,150. When the tenant asked him to repair the home, Merryman reportedly said, “You people, man, it’s always the Black ones that got to have the problem moving in.”
The situation escalated in February 2023 when Merryman and several men showed up at the tenant’s backyard unannounced. When the tenant confronted him, Merryman grabbed a brick and threatened him. He even asked one of the men with him if he had a gun, and the man pretended to reach for one. As Merryman left, he hurled racist insults, calling the tenant slurs.
This wasn’t an isolated incident. Prosecutors say Merryman routinely collected large deposits and rent payments from tenants for homes in poor condition, then evicted them as quickly as possible so he could repeat the scam with new renters.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Merryman’s fraud went even further. When relief funds were made available for renters, he forged his tenants’ signatures to claim the money for himself. One heartbreaking case involved a woman who had rented from Merryman since 2015. She lost her job in 2021 due to medical issues and fell behind on rent. While she was in the hospital, Merryman forged her name to get $15,100 in rent relief, evicted her, threw out all her belongings, and had her car towed.
Federal prosecutors and the FBI condemned Merryman’s actions. “David Merryman deliberately targeted families of color with limited means and housing options,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Landlords have a responsibility to protect the housing rights and dignity of their tenants, and Mr. Merryman failed miserably.”
Brian Dugan, an FBI agent, added that Merryman preyed on people who were just trying to provide a home for their families. “For years, David Merryman used his position of power as a landlord and his tenants’ economic vulnerability to make a profit,” he said.
Now, Merryman will spend 17 years in prison for his crimes. Authorities hope this serves as a warning that such exploitation will not be tolerated.
