Federal complaint alleges Soros-backed prosecutor Descano enabled murder
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Soros-backed Democratic prosecutor Steve Descano has been hit with a formal federal complaint alleging his lenient policies led to the “preventable” murder of a woman stabbed to death by an illegal alien in Virginia’s most populous county.
This comes as Descano, Fairfax County’s public defender, faces increasing criticism and pressure over his handling of a string of illegal immigrant crimes in the area. Descano came to power with heavy financial backing from the Soros family’s Justice and Public Safety PAC. Three of the four murders actively investigated by authorities in Fairfax County were committed by illegal aliens, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The controversy reflects broader national scrutiny of how sanctuary leaders handle immigrant crime in their jurisdictions.
The Victims Rights Reform Council (VRRC), an advocacy group for victims of violent crimes, filed a federal civil rights complaint against Descano this week on behalf of Cheryl Minter. Minter’s daughter, Stephanie Minter, 41, was fatally stabbed at a bus stop earlier this year, allegedly by Abdul Jalloh, a 32-year-old illegal alien from Sierra Leone. Jalloh is currently being held without bail and is charged with second-degree murder.
In a statement Tuesday, Minter said his daughter “should be alive today” and added, “She was taken away because the system repeatedly chose to release a violent criminal.”
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Fairfax County State’s Attorney Steve Descano is facing heavy criticism following a series of violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants, including the murder of Stephanie Minter. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images; Fairfax County Police Department)
This particular murder caused significant national outrage, as Jalloh entered the country illegally in 2012 under the Obama administration and has been issued a final deportation order since 2020. He has a lengthy criminal history, including more than 30 arrests for rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft and other crimes. In 2023, he was found guilty of intentional wounding and sentenced to seven years in prison, with five years suspended. According to local media, he was only sentenced to around seven months in prison WUSA9.
“If I had killed someone, I would have been in prison for life,” Minter said.
He argued that “citizens spend much more time and receive much more punishment than vigilantes for the same crimes.”
The VRRC is requesting that the Trump Justice Department conduct a federal pattern or practice investigation into policies and practices that Minter alleges resulted in the “preventable murder” of his daughter.
In its complaint, VRRC alleges that systematic failures in Descano’s office include discriminatory prosecutorial practices, including policies that take into account and attempt to mitigate immigration consequences in criminal cases. It also alleges that Descano’s office showed willful indifference to public safety by “repeatedly releasing a known violent offender despite clear warnings and a broader pattern of tolerance toward repeat and violent offenders.”
Additionally, Descano’s office is alleged to have “potential outside influence on prosecutorial policy.”
Descano’s entry into political office was fueled by a massive donation of $627,653 from the Soros family. Justice and Public Safety PACThis accounted for nearly 70% of the 2019 campaign budget.
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Abdul Jalloh, 32, is accused of killing 41-year-old Stephanie Minter at a bus stop in Virginia. (Fox 5 DC)
Jennifer Harrison, VRRC’s executive director, explained in a statement shared with Fox News Digital that the group “demands accountability for a system that failed Stephanie and others.”
“When known violent criminals are repeatedly released despite clear warnings and policies lead to inequitable outcomes, the federal government must take action,” he continued. “Equal justice means protecting innocent people, not choosing ideology over safety.”
In response, Descano’s office said the state’s attorney said, “I can’t speak to any individual case, but I can tell you that the idea that we would favor one group over another is completely wrong.” He shared a statement saying:
Descano said the idea that his office favors certain groups “is fueled, in my opinion, by deliberate misreporting and people taking things out of context for political gain.”
“I can tell you that my job and the job of our office is to keep us safe,” he added.
Descano made the remarks outside the Fairfax County Courthouse on Tuesday after 18-year-old undocumented immigrant Israel Flores Ortiz was sentenced to 360 days in prison for groping several teenage girls. Descano said after the press conference that his office was “happy” with the sentence. Flores Ortiz is expected to serve approximately 135 days of his 360-day sentence.
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Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano speaks at an event in Fairfax County, Virginia. (Sarah Voisin/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Sean Kennedy, president of Virginians for Safe Communities, stated that the Department of Justice “should heed Cheryl Minter’s warning” because “Descano’s discriminatory policies are deadly.”
“If the Fairfax attorney general had treated everyone equally and followed the law, Stephanie Minter would be alive today,” Kennedy said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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“The DOJ must act now before another parent buries their child because Descano decided to protect an illegal alien instead of the public,” Kennedy said.
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
