AG Miyares slams Descano for reduced charges of man accused of killing homeless men
WASHINGTON (7News) — On Wednesday, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares called out Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano for reducing charges of a man who is now accused of killing two homeless men and shooting three others in Washington, D.C. and New York.
The 7News I-Team found Gerald Brevard had 88 prior criminal charges dating back to 2009. In December 2020, Brevard was charged with felony abduction and burglary in Fairfax County.
“It’s a penalty of up to life in prison in Virginia," said Miyares. "Another charge - burglary - which is up to five years. It was reduced to a misdemeanor. Which it is my understanding the individual only served five months in jail and got back on the streets. If this individual served what should have been the proper amount of time, he would not have been back on the street. This serial killer would not have been able to find more victims. And there are victims who are not with us anymore because the commonwealth’s attorney office in [Fairfax] didn’t do his job."
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“We know there is a history in this office [Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney] of a criminal first, victim last mindset that has allowed violent criminals back on the street. It’s leading to tragic consequences," said Miyares. "This commonwealth’s attorney failed to do his job. People who are charged in a crime have their own defense attorney. They don’t need the prosecutor to serve in that role. If you are not willing to do your job, step aside. Let other people do that job for you because your job is to be a zealous advocate on behalf of keeping our streets safe. That is our system. Your job as a prosecutor is not also to serve as the defense counsel. That’s exactly the mindset it has seems he has brought to this role where he has reduced charge after charge after charge any chance he’s had to reduce charges against violent criminals he does it and he’s the first in the gate to do so.”
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares slams "far-left prosecutors" Descano and Biberaj
On Wednesday morning, 7News reached out to Descano's office for an interview. Instead of an interview, Descano's staff pointed 7News to a series of tweets.
On Twitter, Descano called the Attorney General's comments “uninformed scaremongering." Descano also called the AG's competence into question. Descano also said the Attorney General is “lying” and "probably just blowing off steam" after what he calls a "shameful effort to weaponize the trauma of victims.”
“I’m sorry he [Descano] has a problem with people who are speaking truth," said Miyares. "He has not done his job. He proudly ran on a platform of going weak and lenient and criminals. Here’s the bottom line: Criminal justice reform does not mean abolishing criminal justice. It is a very hopelessly naïve view that you can go easy on violent criminals and somehow magically you are going to have safer streets. I think his statement shows a little tone deafness that he’s not listening to those victims. People who would be alive today but for the fact that he’s failing to do his job. And we are going to see more headlines. That’s my biggest fear that we are going to see more headlines of people who should have been behind bars that weren’t because of these decisions and it’s going to lead to more tragic consequences."
