South Tidewater News

A federal grand jury has indicted the former Acting Director of Lynchburg Community Corrections and Pretrial Services, Jennifer Leigh Peters, along with Brendon Cole Webber, one of her supervisees. They are accused of conspiring to illegally access protected information for criminal purposes.

Jennifer Leigh Peters, 42, from Madison Heights, Virginia, faces charges including conspiracy against the United States, unauthorized computer access, obstruction of a proceeding before a U.S. Agency, destruction of evidence, and making false representations to a U.S. agency.

Brendon Cole Webber, 27, from Lynchburg, Virginia is charged with two counts of conspiracy against the United States and four counts of unauthorized computer access.

Court documents reveal that Peters had been with Lynchburg Community Corrections and Pretrial Services (LCCPS) since 2007. In 2023 she became Acting Director. LCCPS supervises probation for pretrial criminal defendants and certain post-conviction defendants in Lynchburg General District Court.

Webber was on probation starting in 2022 and was sometimes directly supervised by Peters. In 2023 they began a romantic relationship which Peters did not disclose to her employer.

The indictment alleges that around November 2023 Webber used Peter’s credentials to access the Lynchburg Police Department’s Records Management System (RMS) to search non-public law enforcement material about himself and associates. This information was then shared with others.

Peters allegedly altered entries in Webber’s official probation file indicating he had completed certain milestones and instructed a subordinate to sign off on terminating his probation sent to the court.

On November 29th last year at the Lynchburg Grand Hotel firefighters responded to an overdose incident involving Webber who fled when police arrived but was later caught outside the hotel. A search found suspected methamphetamine and a loaded Glock 38 handgun in his room leading to state firearm charges against him.

After this incident it is claimed that Peters made false statements to a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force trying to capture Webber whom she helped flee out-of-state while misleading law enforcement about their relationship or his location during questioning.

The announcement came from United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for Western District Virginia alongside Stanley M Meador Special Agent-in-Charge FBI Richmond Division after an investigation led by Federal Bureau Investigation supported by Virginia State Police City Lynchburg Police Department Assistant US Attorney Vito Iaia prosecuting case

A criminal indictment is merely an allegation all defendants presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt court law