Police say drug dealer used cake shop to launder money

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - A couple who co-owns a Virginia Beach bakery is facing federal money laundering and drug charges.

Media outlets report that 31-year-old Cheron Johnson and 42-year-old Vernon Norvell have owned G's Cake Shop since November 2013. Court documents show that the couple is accused of money laundering for allegedly using a series of personal and business bank accounts to conceal more than $700,000 in unexplained income.

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An affidavit notes that during the years 2012, 2013 and 2014, the couple reported an income to the Internal Revenue Service of $158,000. But during those years, the couple deposited more than $885,000 into at least 10 personal bank accounts.

Prosecutors also say Norvell ran a large-scale drug operation. A DEA agent is quoted in an affidavit saying Norvell sold cocaine to confidential sources five times while investigators watched.