Dania Orellana-Gamez, a 20-year-old Honduran national, was arrested on April 15 and charged with one count of witness tampering after allegedly threatening the victim in a sexual exploitation case in the Western District of Virginia. She appeared for her initial hearing at the U.S. District Court in Charlottesville.
The case is significant as it involves alleged attempts to intimidate a minor victim involved in ongoing federal prosecutions related to sexual exploitation. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia prosecutes federal crimes and handles civil litigation for the government, partnering with law enforcement to bolster public safety and running crime prevention initiatives, according to the official website.
According to court documents, Orellana-Gamez contacted Minor Victim 1 (MV1) via Facebook Messenger in February and threatened her by saying it would be best if she “keep quiet.” She also warned that she would “upload all those videos and put your name on them,” referring to alleged recordings made during a prior assault involving Bryan Sixto Arias-Chicas. Arias-Chicas had been charged in October 2025 with sexually exploiting MV1 earlier that year. Another individual, Gustavo Quintero, was charged this January with repeated sexual exploitation of MV1 and assaulting a federal law enforcement officer.
Orellana-Gamez further threatened to post these videos “everywhere.” MV1 reported these threats to law enforcement and said she felt Orellana-Gamez was trying to scare her out of testifying in court.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf announced the arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia covers western Virginia through offices located in Roanoke, Charlottesville, Abingdon, Lynchburg, Danville and Harrisonburg; it operates as part of the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website (source). The office promotes public safety through crime prevention outreach programs and partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies (official website).
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
