Local
Payroll scam targets transgender employees
Fraudulent emails ask for change in bank account for direct deposits
Email messages claiming to be from an employee that were sent in November to the LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative in Arlington, Va., and to a yoga studio in Middleton, Del., requested that the employees’ direct deposit paycheck be sent to a new bank account.
According to an official with the LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative and the employee at the yoga studio, the emails had the employees’ correct names, including a photo, and included a bank account number for the Green Dot Bank where the email messages said the salary payments should be deposited.
Yoga studio teacher SK Smigiel, who identifies as transgender and uses the pronouns she/they, and LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative official S.C. Neely said their organizations checked with the employees to verify whether they wanted to change their bank accounts and quickly learned that the email messages were fake and were an attempt to steal the salary payment of the employees.
Smigiel told the Washington Blade she posted information about what happened on her Instagram page and received information from people across the country saying the same scam happened to others and at least some lost money.
“I shared that this happened to us,” Smigiel said in referring to her social media postings about the attempted scam. “And we got up to 12 other people across the country in the last month saying this has happened to them. And many of them lost money,” Smigiel told the Blade.
“So, their employers did not catch this before it went through,” she said. “So, now we are having active harm happening to people, and from what I’m seeing across the board, police are not investigating or doing anything to take action.”
According to Smigiel, the employees being targeted by this scam appear to be transgender, including the employee of the LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative in Arlington.
“For me it was the same thing,” she said. “I’m the only trans employee at my company. And I’m not sure if these people are starting on social media to try to find trans people and their employment specifically. But it has only happened from what I’ve seen to the trans community specifically, which is interesting.”
Smigiel, who spoke to the Blade on Dec. 9, said she had not yet reported the attempted scam to police in Delaware, but she saved copies of the fake emails sent to her employer at the yoga studio, which included a bank account number for the Green Dot Bank.
“I’m kind of sitting on it, waiting to hear more from other people I’ve spoken to, because they’re from different districts across the country,” she said.
Nealy, however, said she did report the attempted scam to Arlington police and, much to her disappointment, she was told police declined to investigate the incident.
Arlington police spokesperson Ashley Savage told the Blade police have documented the incident but confirmed a decision was made not to open an investigation at this time.
“Given it was an attempted fraud, there was no fraud that was committed,” Savage told the Blade. “And based on call volume, we have to evaluate the information that we receive regarding cases and whether or not there is information to follow up on,” she said.
Asked whether Arlington police could have followed up on this case, especially since the fake email messages sent to the Arlington based LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative included the name of a bank and a bank account number, Savage said, “The information has been documented.”
She added, “We do work with a high volume of cases, especially with property-based crimes,” she said. “And we do evaluate whether or not there is a solvability factor for each one of them, unfortunately.”
The Blade contacted the Green Dot Bank, which describes itself on its website as a “branchless bank that operates primarily through retail distribution locations nationwide.” A spokesperson for the bank said the bank was “aware of and engaged on this matter” but could not provide specific details.
“For privacy and security reasons, we’re unable to share details about customer accounts or circumstances, or specifics on our work to combat fraud,” said Whit Chapman, Green Dot Bank’s director of communications. “However, we can confirm that account protection and fraud prevention are top priorities at Green Dot, and we work around the clock and invest heavily to identify, block and address fraudulent activity.”
Maryland
‘Girlfriends’ wanted for murder in Silver Spring, Md.
Montgomery County police say two charged with killing mother of one of them
The Montgomery County, Md., Department of Police announced on June 4 that it is seeking the public’s help in locating two women, who they identify as a couple, who are charged with first-degree murder for allegedly killing the mother of one of them.
In a statement police identified the two women as Vanessa Tjongarero-Henderson of Clarksburg, Md., and her girlfriend Samantha Raebel of Phoenix, Ariz. The statement says the two are charged with the murder of Hilde Henderson, 67, the mother of Vanessa.
According to the statement, officers with the department’s 3rd District found Hilde Henderson deceased on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at her home at the Charter House apartments in the 1300 block of Fenwick Lane in Silver Spring after being called to check on the resident’s welfare.
“Henderson was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where an autopsy was conducted,” the statement says. “The cause of death was ruled a homicide.”
It adds, “Through the course of the investigation, detectives identified Henderson’s daughter, Vanessa Tjongarero-Henderson and Vanessa’s girlfriend, Raeble, as the suspects.” It says detectives obtained an arrest warrant against the two women, charging both with first-degree murder.
“Anyone with information regarding the location of these suspects or this crime is asked to call 911 or to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, Md. website at crimesolversmcmd.org,” the statement says, or to call the tip line at 1-866-411-8477.
“Tips with information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward from $250 up to $10,000,” it says, adding that tips may remain anonymous.
A spokesperson for Montgomery County police didn’t immediately respond to a request from the Washington Blade for information not disclosed in the police statement, including the physical-medical cause of death for Hilde Henderson and whether detectives have determined a motive for the murder.
District of Columbia
D.C. Latinx Pride celebrates culture and heritage
Your guide to events throughout June
Organizers with the Latinx History Project have planned a host of events this Pride season with parties, poetry, drag and more.
The festivities begin with the DC Latinx Pride 2026 Kickoff at Crush Dance Bar (2007 14th Street, N.W.) on Friday, June 12 from 6-10 p.m. The party will include a coronation ceremony for the 2026 Royal Court: Ms. DC Latinx Pride Vida Rangel and Mx. DC Latinx Pride Steph Niaupari. RSVP at latinxhistoryproject.org. The event is free, though donations are accepted.
An outdoor event is planned for Sunday, June 14 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Anacostia River Park (1500 Anacostia Dr., S.E.). Cultivating Queer Outdoor Joy is a “peaceful outdoor community event focused on grounding, connection, and queer joy in nature.” The event is free.
A panel discussion is planned for The Festival Center (1640 Columbia Rd., N.W., 2nd floor) on Monday, June 15 from 6-8 p.m. La Plática: The Future of 2 Spirits and Trans Natives will focus upon the “stories, leadership and vision of Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer and Trans Native people.” RSVP to the free event at latinxhistoryproject.org.
A sex-positive poetry workshop, “Hoetry: Writing Erotic Poetry,” is planned for Wednesday, June 17 from 6-8 p.m. at The Festival Center (1640 Columbia Road, N.W.). The event is free.
The workshop So You Wanna Do Drag? is planned for Thursday, June 18 from 5:30-8 p.m. at The Festival Center (1640 Columbia Road, N.W.). Featured guests Ricky Rose and Mari Con Carne will hold a style showcase to discuss the basics of developing a drag persona. RSVP to the free event at latinxhistoryproject.org.
The Latinx History Project is collaborating with Rumba Queer DC to produce an official Latinx Pride Party: Sin Vergüenza. The event is at the multi-level venue, Transmission (1353 H Street, N.E.) on Thursday, June 18 from 7 p.m.-1 a.m. There are dance lessons, vendors and three different music experiences in the sprawling venue. There will also be a drag showcase from 10-11 p.m. The event is 21+ and tickets are available at shotgun.live/en/events/sin-verguenza. Tickets are $15 for entry into the party. Tickets to participate in the dance lesson are $29.98. Participants may choose between a bachata lesson or a salsa lesson from 7-8 p.m.
La Fiesta: Official DC Latinx Pride Party is planned for Friday, June 19 from 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. at Bunker (2001 14th Street, N.W.). Serena Morena from “Drag Race México” and “Drag Race UK vs The World” is slated to headline the 21+ event. Early tickets are available for $15 (plus $0.38 service fee) until June 16. The door cover charge without early tickets is $20. Attendees can also purchase a meet and greet experience with Serena Morena for $30. Tickets are available at latinxhistoryproject.org.
The Latinx History Project plans to march in the Capital Pride Parade on Saturday, June 20 and to have a table at the Capital Pride Festival on Sunday, June 21. Visit latinxhistoryproject.org to register to march alongside LGP in the parade or to staff the table at the festival.
The DC Latinx Pride 2026 Closing Event is scheduled for Friday, June 26 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Mexican Cultural Institute (2829 16th Street, N.W.). The free event is a panel discussion “centering the experiences of immigrants who have lived in Latin America and now call the United States home.”
Visit latinxhistoryproject.org for more information.
District of Columbia
JR.’s hosts meet & greet for mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George
Event organized by Capital Stonewall Democrats, Queers for Janeese
D.C. mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George spoke to a crowd of LGBTQ supporters on June 1 at a meet & greet event held at JR.’s on 17th Street in the Dupont Circle neighborhood.
The event, organized by Capital Stonewall Democrats, which has endorsed Lewis George for mayor, with support from a group called Queers for Janeese, was followed by a “get out the vote” canvassing endeavor in which several of those attending the meet & greet visited the homes of nearby residents known to be Lewis George supporters.
The purpose of the canvassing was to remind Lewis George supporters to return their mail-in ballots or go to the polls on June 16 to elect Lewis George as the city’s next mayor, according to Matthew Kavanagh, one of the leaders of Queers for Janeese who attended the meet & greet event at JR.’s.
Local political observers consider Lewis George, a Ward 4 D.C. Council member, and former At-Large D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie, to be the two leading candidates in this year’s race for mayor. The two are among seven mayoral candidates competing in the city’s June 16 Democratic primary.
Lewis George told those attending the meet & greet, which was held on the JR.’s outdoor patio, that she has a long record of advocating for and initiating city polices and laws in support of the LGBTQ community. She said large corporate donors were backing her opponents and urged her LGBTQ supporters to help raise funds for her in the remaining days of the campaign.
Among those attending the meet & greet was gay longtime Dupont Circle civic activist Randy Downs who last November opened a nearby eatery called Protest Pizza. “I am queer and I am a Janeese supporter,” Downs told the Blade.
Stevie McCarty, president of Capital Stonewall Democrats, who also spoke at the meet & greet event, said his group would organize events in support of Lewis George in the remaining days of the campaign. Among them, he said, was an LGBTQ bar crawl in which supporters of Lewis George, including the candidate herself, would visit LGBTQ bars to promote her candidacy.
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