WARREN COUNTY – Former Front Royal-Warren County EDA Executive Director Jennifer Rae McDonald, who has been in custody at the Rappahannock-Shenandoah-Warren Regional Jail since the evening of Friday, May 24, was transported by ambulance to Warren Memorial Hospital (WMH) Sunday morning before 9 a.m. after complaining of chest pains.
McDonald was still in the Emergency Department of WMH mid-afternoon, according to a hospital employee. A source said later in the day that McDonald appeared to be in fair to stable condition at the hospital.
McDonald, 42, was booked at RSW at 7:20 p.m., Friday, on two counts of Fraud – obtaining money by false pretenses in excess of $200 and two counts of larceny – embezzlement in excess of $200. She is scheduled to have a bond hearing in Warren County Circuit Court on Tuesday, May 28. The arrest warrant was issued Friday by the Virginia State Police. VSP and the FBI searched and seized items from the EDA office complex and McDonald’s former office on April 16.
This reporter reached out to the RSW Regional Jail staff Sunday about the reported medical transport of a 42-year-old female inmate with chest pains and was told by the operator who answered the phone, “We don’t have anyone on duty today who writes press releases – call back Tuesday.”
When pressed for a supervisor, a Lt. Caruso came onto the line and indicated that he could not release any information without approval from his captain. He agreed to “check with his supervisor” and get back to Royal Examiner. However, no call was returned by the time this story was published over eight hours later.
McDonald’s recently retained criminal defense attorney, Peter Greenspun, confirmed Sunday evening that he first learned of his client’s hospitalization from Royal Examiner’s inquiry about his client’s health.
McDonald and other defendants and/or their attorneys, among others with connections to those defendants, were present in the Warren County Courthouse between Wednesday and Friday of last week to testify before a Special Grand Jury empaneled to investigate potential criminal behavior related to a $17.6-million EDA civil suit filed on March 26.
McDonald is the central figure in that civil suit. Other defendants in the civil litigation include Warren County Sheriff Daniel McEathron, who was a partner in two McDonald real estate companies also cited in the case, DaBoyz and MoveOn8 LLC’s; Truc “Curt” Tran and his ITFederal LLC; Earth Right Energy Solar Commercial LLC and its principals Donald Poe and Justin Appleton.
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