Newport News Man Sentenced for Receiving Child Pornography

NEWPORT NEWS, VA—Gregory L. Tropea, 52, of Newport News, Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to 336 months and a lifetime of supervised release following his convictions on three counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of making a false statement to an agent of the United States.

Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, FBI Special Agent in Charge Royce E. Curtin, and Richard Myers, Chief of Newport New Police, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Robert Doumar.

Tropea pleaded guilty on November 7, 2013. According to court documents, on May 8, 2013, police responded to the Host Inn where Tropea was living after a friend of his had not heard from him in several days. Upon arriving at the hotel, the manager informed them that a surveillance tape showed Tropea leaving the hotel on May 5, 2013, on his bicycle but not returning. Police entered the room to investigate the missing persons report and found numerous phone numbers inside the room. Officers called several people to try and locate Tropea, including his probation officer, whose business card was located in the hotel room. While in the room, officers found a laptop computer as well as a coffee can full of thumb drives. After speaking to the probation officer, police learned that Tropea was on federal supervised release for fraud and possession of child pornography and was barred from having a computer. The search was stopped when they discovered he was in violation of his supervision. FBI agents obtained a search warrant and numerous items were seized, including the computer and thumb drives. Tropea was later located at an area jail. A forensic exam of the computer and thumb drives was conducted and more than 40,000 images of child pornography were found.

This case was investigated by FBI and Newport News Police. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa R. McKeel prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.