Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 22, 1995                   TAG: 9502220103
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN VIRGINIA

NEW KENT - An attraction known as Mini-USA is negotiating to build miniature versions of American landmarks on 10 acres near the horse track under construction in New Kent.

County Administrator R. Joseph Emerson said that Mini-USA would include Washington, D.C., sites; the Statue of Liberty; the St. Louis Arch; and other tourist attractions, about one-sixth actual size.

The outdoor walking attraction would be on land owned by Chesapeake Corp., which hopes to build a 5,000-acre resort around the horse track to rival Saratoga in New York. An 18-hole golf course already is under construction, and the Mini-USA attraction could take advantage of a growing interest in miniaturized landscapes.

- Associated Press

Suspect weds likely prosecution witness

WINCHESTER - A week before his scheduled capital murder trial, a jail inmate married a girlfriend who has been subpoenaed to testify against him.

Jeffrey F. Washington, 22, married Stacy Roberts, 23, at the regional jail Monday night, said the Rev. James W. Johnson, a Baptist minister who performed the ceremony.

When Washington applied for a marriage license in January, Winchester Commonwealth's Attorney Paul Thomson called his wedding plans ``an intent to subvert the legal process.''

Under state law, a spouse cannot be compelled to testify against a husband or wife.

Thomson said Roberts gave several statements to investigators and agreed to help prosecutors. She has not testified in any court hearings is.

Washington is charged with capital murder and nine other felonies in the Aug. 16, 1994, shooting of Carlos Marshall. Prosecutors charge that Washington led five men in an attempt to rob Marshall of money and drugs. Washington is accused of shooting Marshall with a handgun as Marshall walked toward him.

- Associated Press

Nigerian awaits wire-fraud trial

ALEXANDRIA - A Nigerian citizen who was extradited from Switzerland is in federal custody and awaiting trial in a wire-fraud scheme.

Henry Achiekwelu and two other Nigerians, Johnny Okolie and Fred Kachi, were charged with nine counts of fraud in an indictment handed up in September.

The three men are accused of defrauding EER Systems Inc., a Vienna-based aerospace contractor, and its chief executive officer, Jai N. Gupta, of $4.4 million from September 1992 to January 1993.

According to prosecutors, Gupta was duped into believing he was helping the defendants in a scheme to defraud the Nigerian government of $28.5 million.

- Associated Press