Homeowner Legal Scheme Gets Woodbridge Man Prison Sentence

WOODBRIDGE, VA — A Woodbridge man was sentenced to prison Thursday in D.C. federal court for legal fraud purported to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Prosecutors say the scheme earned at least $15 million for Terrylle Blackstone, 37, of Woodbridge, and co-conspirators, but victims never received legal services. Blackstone worked with co-conspirators who were attorneys — David Maresca of Virginia, Scott Marinelli of New Jersey, and Sam Babbs of Florida.

From January 2018 to February 2021, prosecutors say the co-conspirators told homeowners they ran a "national law firm" based in D.C., would review the homeowner’s file and provide legal representation. Homeowners were told an attorney in the homeowner’s local area would be assigned to them, and the homeowner could meet and consult with the attorney and if needed help them file for bankruptcy.

From 2016 to at least 2019, the co-conspirators marketed Maresca and Marinelli’s Synergy Law in Manassas, claiming to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Bankruptcy judges, clients and the U.S. Trustee's Program raised concerns about the firm in 2018 and 2019 during a bankruptcy case. According to prosecutors, Blackstone attended court hearings and made false statement about Synergy's operations.

Marinelli was incarcerated in Pennsylvania in 2019, but the three co-conspirators continued to run the firm, collect monthly payments for legal services and solicit clients by phone. However, prosecutors say there was no attorney who could practice law at Synergy at the time. In addition, Synergy attorneys did not review all homeowner files and did not contact the client’s lender to resolve a mortgage.

The co-conspirators ran another firm, Themis Law, with a call center in Manassas, from 2019 to at least 2022. Call center workers used a script during calls with homeowners to falsely promise that an attorney would review the homeowner's case file. The call center workers could also claim a legal team would contact the homeowner's lender to negotiate a mortgage resolution. Homeowners had to pay an initial retainer and monthly recurring amount as along as the firm represented them. When homeowners faced foreclosure, the firm advised clients to consider bankruptcy and referred them to Babbs Law Firm. Homeowners had to pay a new retainer and additional fees to Babbs.

Blackstone pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. He was sentenced to 60 months (about five years) in prison, plus three years of supervised release.

According to prosecutors, Blackstone at least $159,145.35 in direct payments from Synergy Law and Themis Law. A judge ordered Blackstone to pay a forfeiture money judgment in that amount.