Public official admits to lying, destroying evidence, and misusing police database to protect boyfriend
Lynchburg, Virginia – Jennifer Peters, the former acting director of the Lynchburg Community Corrections & Pretrial Services Department (LCCPS), has pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple criminal charges, including conspiracy, obstruction of justice, making false statements, and destruction of evidence. The charges stem from her role in aiding her then-boyfriend, a convicted felon, in accessing protected law enforcement records and fleeing from authorities.
Peters, 43, of Madison Heights, Virginia, entered her guilty plea on August 19, 2025. According to federal court documents, her crimes occurred while she was in a position of leadership at LCCPS and responsible for supervising individuals on probation, including Brendon Cole Webber, a man with whom she later developed a romantic relationship.
Accessing Protected Systems to Aid a Fugitive
The federal investigation revealed that Peters and Webber became romantically involved around August 2023, even as she remained in a position of authority over his supervision. Using her role within LCCPS, Peters gained access to the Lynchburg Police Department’s Records Management System (RMS), a protected computer system containing confidential, non-public law enforcement information.
Between November 11, 2023, and January 9, 2024, Peters accessed RMS and shared sensitive materials with Webber, who then spread the confidential information to others. Their actions were not only unauthorized but also illegal, as Webber had no clearance or right to view those records.
The situation escalated dramatically after November 30, 2023, when Webber was charged with illegal firearm possession under Virginia law. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and the U.S. Marshals began actively pursuing him as a fugitive. Despite knowing there was an active manhunt underway, Peters took deliberate steps to shield Webber from capture.
Driving a Fugitive Across State Lines and Lying to Authorities
In mid-December 2023, Peters assisted Webber in fleeing Virginia, driving him from Lynchburg to Hughestown, Pennsylvania. During the drive, she booked a hotel room at his instruction in an attempt to throw off authorities and delay his arrest.
When federal agents questioned Peters about her connection to Webber, she repeatedly lied. She claimed not to have had physical contact with him since early December, denied knowledge of his whereabouts, said she was unaware he had a working phone number, and insisted she didn’t know he planned to leave Lynchburg.
To further conceal her involvement, Peters told investigators she had misplaced her own cellphone. In reality, she had given it to a friend in an effort to hide it. After her interview, she retrieved the phone and intentionally discarded it in a local landfill to destroy evidence, a move that federal prosecutors say was aimed at obstructing the ongoing investigation.
Webber was eventually apprehended in Hughestown on January 9, 2024.
Co-Conspirator Also Faces Federal Sentencing
Webber previously pleaded guilty to state charges of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice. In May, he admitted guilt to federal charges including illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and two counts of conspiracy against the United States.
Both Peters and Webber are awaiting sentencing later this year.
Federal authorities have yet to announce the specific sentencing dates, but the case stands as a stark example of the consequences when a public official abuses their access to protected systems and interferes with the course of justice.
