A Chesterfield County couple who defrauded fellow church members and others in a Ponzi scheme pleaded guilty yesterday and agreed to repay victims more than $9.7 million. Darrell Underwood, 42, faces up to 10 years in prison and Cynthia Underwood, 41, five years when sentenced on Sept. 17. Each was found guilty of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Darrell Underwood also pleaded guilty to engaging in unlawful transactions.

In 2006, local television news anchor Gwen Williams Dandridge and her husband, Eric, began investing with Walkwood Properties, which offered a 50 percent return in 45 days. The money was supposed to be used to buy property facing foreclosure. Known as Gwen Williams to viewers of WRIC, she testified in federal court yesterday that although they initially made some money, they wound up losing $200,000.

A jury trial began yesterday for the owners of a Chesterfield County real estate company who allegedly defrauded investors in an $18 million Ponzi scheme. On trial in U.S. District Court are Darrell Underwood, 42, and his wife, Cynthia, 41, owners of Walkwood Properties, a real estate company that allowed homeowners to save their homes from foreclosure by selling the property to Walkwood associates.