The Washington Post - USA (2022-05-24)

TUESDAY, MAY 24 , 2022. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ RE B5

delayed, while an additional 14
percent were canceled. Among
departures, nearly 30 percent
were delayed while 19 percent
were canceled.
National and Dulles saw gusts
up to 59 mph as the storms rolled
through.
Despite a surge in air travel
demand, airlines have trimmed
their schedules in recent months
while hoping to avoid a repeat of
last summer, when weather-relat-
ed delays — compounded by staff-
ing shortages — left tens of thou-
sands of customers stranded. Air-
lines are trying to replace more
than 50,000 workers who’ve left
the industry since the start of the
pandemic. Thousands of recent
hires are still in training.
While airlines say they are fo-
cused on running reliable opera-
tions, some travelers, including
those caught in Sunday night’s
delays at National, said frequent
disruptions are causing them to
rethink air travel.
Eric Shierling’s patience al-
ready was running low by the
time he made it to Washington.
His original flight from Birming-
ham, Ala., slated to leave early
Sunday, was canceled and the
flight on which he was rebooked
was delayed multiple times. He
had hoped his long day was near-
ly over when he touched down at
National at 12:24 a.m. Monday,

DELAYS FROM B1 only to have the captain an-
nounce another issue.
“The pilot told us there were no
gates because everybody had got-
ten to the airport at the same
time,” said Shierling, a project
engineer.
When he looked out the win-
dow and saw two other planes
parked to the right and two more
on the left, his heart sank.
It would be four hours before
passengers were allowed to leave
the aircraft, then he still needed
to catch another flight to get to
Connecticut, where he was head-
ed for business. The crew did its
best, he said, providing snacks
and water, even breaking into a
stash of goodies reserved for first-
class passengers.
The delays that stretched over
two days brought added expense
and hassle.
“I’m angry and I’m mad,” he
said Monday as he waited. He
originally was scheduled to fly to
Bradley International outside
Hartford, a 30-minute drive to his
worksite, but the only available
flight Monday was to Albany,
about 90 minutes away. “I
wouldn’t be in this situation if my
original flight hadn’t been can-
celed. This is what makes me so
mad at American [Airlines].”
Passengers said airport offi-
cials turned down requests from
American to use shuttle buses
that could ferry passengers to the
terminal, as well as requests to

move planes closer to the con-

course so passengers could be

escorted into the building.

Officials with the Metropolitan

Washington Airports Authority,

which manages operations at Na-

tional Airport, declined to com-

ment. Rob Yingling, a National

Airport spokesman, referred

questions about the events of

Sunday evening to individual air-

lines.

In a statement, American Air-

lines officials blamed the weath-

er.

“A small number of arriving

flights experienced deplaning de-

lays as they waited for available

gates at the terminal,” the state-

ment said. “We apologize to our

customers for the inconvenience

and thank our team members

who worked diligently to resolve

the situation.”

The Department of Transpor-

tation closely regulates tarmac

delays that occur before planes

take off or after they land.

Under a rule put into place in

2010, airlines are required to let

domestic passengers off within

three hours, while international

passengers must be able to exit

within four hours. After two

hours, airlines are required to

offer water and a snack while also

ensuring that restrooms are

working.

The regulation was put into

place after high-profile incidents

in which travelers were stranded

on airplanes for 10 hours or more.

Such cases are investigated by the

department’s Office of Aviation

Consumer Protection.

It was not clear Monday

whether American Airlines

would face fines for the delays.

Transportation Department offi-

cials did not respond to inquiries

about Sunday.

Arlington resident John Rodri-

guez said he was returning home

Sunday from a trip to Birming-

ham. His original flight had been

scheduled to land at 8:30 p.m.,

but the flight he was rebooked on

didn’t land until after midnight.

He and fellow passengers spent

four more hours sitting on the

plane.

Rodriguez said he could see at

least a half-dozen other planes

that also appeared to be stuck.

Flight attendants distributed

cookies and water, while the cap-

tain offered hourly updates, he

said.

Outside the airport, nearly

40,000 customers lost power

Sunday evening in Virginia, ac-

cording to PowerOutage.US. By

Monday evening, only a handful

of customers were still without

electricity, according to Domin-

ion Energy. Power also had been

restored to Pepco customers in

the District and Maryland, the

utility said.

Matthew Cappucci contributed to this

report.

D.C.-area air travelers e xperience bumpy weekend

BY DAN MORSE

Staking out a Rockville hotel

for possible midafternoon prosti-

tution, several vice detectives

spotted what looked to be an

unmarked police car parked near

the portico. Antennae on the roof.

Subtle flasher systems in a win-

dow and near a bumper. They ran

the license tag.

What unfolded over the next

two hours, the detectives allege in

new court records filed in Mont-

gomery County, was the basis for

them charging Joshua Aaron Tab-

er, 38, with something he’s been

accused of before: impersonating

a police officer.

Taber also faces 12 weapons

charges based on what detectives

say was found in his Chevrolet

Tahoe and his hotel room. The

cache included rifles with scopes,

an Anderson Arms AR-15 pistol

and at least six magazines of

ammunition, according to court

records. Also found: Several iden-

tification cards bearing Taber’s

name, photo and titles such as

“Diplomatic Protection Services”

and “Special Agent.”

Court documents do not ex-

plain why Taber, of Alexandria,

had the weapons or the IDs.

There also is no accusation or

indication that he was connected

to any prostitution. Rather, the

records suggest the detectives ran

into him by chance.

Taber was booked into the

Montgomery County j ail Thurs-

day, posted a $5,000 bond and

was released, according to court

records. He could not be reached

for comment through phone

numbers and email addresses

that in the past were linked to him

on public databases. Court rec-

ords do not indicate if Taber has

retained an attorney in the case.

In 2014, Taber was found guilty

of law enforcement imperson-

ation in Fauquier County, Va.,

according to online court records.

He was later charged with the

same offense in D.C. and ended up

pleading guilty to attempting to

carry a pistol without a license,

according to court records.

The Montgomery County case

unfolded about 1:45 p.m. on May

10, outside a business hotel along

Shady Grove Road. When the

Montgomery County plainclothes

detectives first spotted the unoc-

cupied Tahoe, they wondered if

they had come across a different

law-enforcement operation and if

their presence might get in the

way of it. One of the detectives

walked by the SUV, looked inside

and saw what appeared to be a

soft rifle case on the back seat.

A colleague inquired at the

front desk and was told a man

named Joshua Taber had just

checked into Room 222, referred

to himself as an agent and said he

needed his “government-issued

vehicle” close so he could keep an

eye on it, according to court rec-

ords.

The detectives continued re-

searching Taber’s background

and criminal history and waited

for him to come out of the hotel.

When he did, about 3:55 p.m.,

they arrested him.

A subsequent search of Room

222 turned up what detectives

termed a “9 mm assault pistol,”

another gun and photo IDs that

included one with a holographic

“security seal,” detectives assert-

ed in court records. Inside the

Tahoe, investigators found 10

guns in cases on the back seat.

One of them, detectives allege,

was a privately manufactured

“ghost gun.”

Owing to his convictions, po-

lice say, Taber was prohibited

from possessing any of the guns.

In a cargo area of the Tahoe,

police also said they found “a

camouflage molle vest bearing a

black and green patch that said,

‘AGENT EXECUTIVE PROTEC-

TION’ with 2x bulletproof plates.”

P olice i mpersonator

is arrested on same

charge in Montgomery

MARYLAND

MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE

Detectives said they found a cache of weapons and other items in

Joshua Aaron Taber’s Chevrolet Tahoe and his hotel room in

Rockville. He is facing 12 weapons charges.

BY JUSTIN JOUVENAL

A Northern Virginia man was
charged with embezzling millions
of dollars from a company that
owns commercial real estate, a
case that Fairfax prosecutors said
is one of the largest in their office’s
history.
Carlos Camacho, who lives near
the Kingstowne area of Fairfax
County, was indicted on 15 counts
of embezzlement and four counts
of forgery, authorities announced
Monday. The charges stem from a
scheme to take out loans on and
divert rental income from com-
mercial properties owned by Fair-
fax County’s A&A Investments,
said Fairfax County Common-
wealth’s Attorney Steve Descano.
Camacho, who was a manager
at the company and has family
ties to the owners, netted more
than $2 million from the “mom
and pop” business between 2017
and 2020 and spent the money on
personal expenses, Descano said.
He declined to say what Camacho
bought.
Camacho could not immedi-
ately be reached for comment,
and no attorney was listed for him
in court records.
Descano said Camacho was
able to take out loans on the
company’s commercial properties
by forging power-of-attorney doc-

uments. His conduct came to light

when banks notified A&A’s own-

ers that they had liens on their

properties related to the loans,

Descano said.

Camacho was indicted by a

grand jury in Fairfax County last

week.

Descano said it is likely A&A’s

losses could grow as prosecutors

continue to comb through bank

records.

“Imagine running a small, fam-

ily-owned business and building

it up for years and then all of a

sudden finding out you’re poten-

tially on the hook for millions of

dollars’ worth of loans and your

regular income has been diverted,

as well,” Descano said.

A&A owns about five commer-

cial real estate properties in

Northern Virginia, including a

doctor’s office, Descano said. The

company’s owners did not im-

mediately respond to a request for

comment.

One of the owners of A&A has

also filed a lawsuit against Cama-

cho seeking more than $500,000

in damages, according to court

records. That case is ongoing.

The Fairfax County prosecu-

tor’s office has not regularly pur-

sued large white-collar cases in

the past, though federal prosecu-

tors in Virginia often do. Descano,

who is a former federal prosecu-

tor, said it was important to send a

message that the office was look-

ing out for the county’s business-

es.

VIRGINIA

Man charged in monumental embezzlement case

Alleged theft is one

of the largest pursued

by Fairfax prosecutors

CRAIG HUDSON FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

T he Fairfax County Courthouse. Carlos Camacho is accused of taking out loans on and diverting rental

income from commercial properties owned by A&A Investments.

But earlier this month, Hart-
ke’s niece, Barbara Ann Hartke,
sued to block the sale after learn-
ing about the plans to auction the
dress from news reports, includ-
ing on NBC’s “Today” show. The
81-year-old retired schoolteacher
has said that s he was close to her
late uncle a nd that the dress has
sentimental value.
Catholic University countered
that the dress was gifted to the
institution and that Gilbert Hart-
ke’s vow of poverty as a Domini-
can priest means he didn’t intend
to personally own anything of
value.
Shawn Brenhouse, an attorney
for Catholic University, said in a
statement that the auction would
“be postponed until the resolu-
tion of this case,” but that the
university would continue to
fight for its ability to sell the
dress and endow a faculty posi-
tion in the drama school.
“The Court’s decision to pre-
serve the status quo was prelimi-
nary and did not get to the merits
of Barbara Hartke’s claim to the
dress,” Brenhouse said. “We look
forward to presenting our posi-
tion, and the overwhelming evi-
dence contradicting Ms. Hartke’s
claim, to the Court in the course
of this litigation.”
The dress donation made
headlines in the 1970s when it
was given to Gilbert Hartke by

DRESS FROM B1 Oscar-winning actress Mercedes
McCambridge, who was an artist-
in-residence at the drama pro-
gram. Hartke was a mentor to
McCambridge, who had been a
close friend of Garland’s.
Hartke did not take the keep-
sake with him when he retired
decades ago, and the dress was in
the possession of other staff
members until it seemingly dis-
appeared. Then, last year, lectur-
er Matt Ripa found the classic
film collector’s item stashed
above staff mailboxes.
Anthony Scordo III, Barbara
Ann Hartke’s lawyer, said Mon-
day that he believed the judge
paid close attention to written
arguments in the case. Heading
out of the courthouse, he said he
had not yet spoken to his client to
convey the development.
Scordo argued in court pa-
pers that Barbara Ann Hartke
would be “irreparably harmed”
if the auction were to go for-
ward and that she could demon-
strate that her uncle’s estate
was the rightful owner of the
property.
McCambridge “specifically
and publicly” gifted the dress to
Hartke, “and said dress is there-
fore an asset of decedent’s es-
tate,” Scordo argued in court
filings. He noted that McCam-
bridge and Hartke had a close
relationship.
A spokesperson for Bonhams
declined to comment.

Gardephe rejected Catholic

University’s contention that Bar-

bara Ann Hartke’s case was frivo-

lous, that her arguments were

made in bad faith and that her

interest in establishing owner-

ship of the dress was purely

financial.

The judge also said the univer-

sity’s claim that there was an

urgent need to auction off the

item to keep potential buyers

from losing interest was un-

founded.

Gardephe noted that for more

than 80 years, the public has

been fascinated by the classic

film a nd that the controversy

over the dress’s ownership and

the lawsuit have only generated

more interest.

Judge blocks CU from auctioning d ress worn by ‘Dorothy’

PATRICK G. RYAN/CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY

Maria Mazzenga, curator of special collections at Catholic University, displays the dress worn by Judy

Garland in “ The Wizard Of Oz.” The school says it was a gift to the Rev. Gilbert V. Hartke, the longtime

head of the university’s drama department, from actress Mercedes McCambridge in 1973.

Barbara Ann Hartke

claims the dress is part

of her late uncle’s estate

and sued to block the

sale, saying t hat she

was close to him and

that the dress has

sentimental value.

Did you hear The Post today?

Washington Post podcasts go with you everywhere

wpost.com/podcasts

Politics • History • Culture • More

S0

10

8 2x

.5