5 Sentenced in Lunenburg Co.

The Lunenburg County Circuit Court tried five separate cases recently:

Timothy Lamont White

Timothy Lamont White, a 33 year old Victoria man of 1207 Lunenburg Avenue, was sentenced recently in Lunenburg Circuit Court to six months in jail on a felony conviction of unauthorized use of a vehicle as a result of taking his employer’s work van to drive to a grocery store just six or so blocks away in Victoria after being refused permission to do so, and then crushing the front end of a car parked in the store’s lot as he pulled out.

White, who was not licensed, fled the scene, having caused over $3,000 in damage to the car of a store employee, but was found shortly thereafter on Mecklenburg Avenue where he admitted to police what he had done.

The employer expressed to the prosecutor that White was a good worker, but he knew White had never had a driver’s license and had never been allowed to drive. He said he would still keep White as an employee, so work release was offered for White if he is eligible and if approved by the jail.

White was sentenced to five years in prison with four and a half years suspended, which was the high end of the Sentencing Guidelines.

In addition, the defendant will be subject to conditions of good behavior for five years, supervised probation upon his release for one year, restitution of $3,432 to the insurance company, and warrantless searches for five years.

William Earl Richardson

William Earl Richardson, a 59-year-old Dundas man, was found guilty recently in the Lunenburg Circuit Court of one count of Rape of a Child in 1997. He was indicted in August of this year on15 felony charges for offenses that occurred from 1993 to 1997, but entered an Alford Plea of Guilty last Tuesday in which he denied guilt, but admitted the prosecution had sufficient evidence that he would likely be found guilty by a judge or jury of having sex with the child when she was 10 years old.

Circuit Court Judge Joel Cunningham of Halifax accepted the plea agreement in which Richardson agreed to a sentence of 50 years with all suspended except 11 years and six months which was the high end of the Sentencing Guidelines Range for the one conviction, according to Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Clement. State law still requires the preparation of a presentence report and psychosexual evaluation, so a formal sentencing will be conducted after the reports are received on a date to be set later with Judge Cunningham.

Clement said that the victim, who is now in her 20’s, wished to avoid the trauma of testifying. The sentence took into account her wishes, the lack of any physical evidence, the defendant’s poor health, including weekly dialysis, his age, and his lack of any criminal record, said Clement.

Robert Alan Sampson

Robert Alan Sampson, a 62 year old Lunenburg County man of 1246 Owl Creek Road, was sentenced recently in Lunenburg Circuit Court to four and a half months in jail on a felony conviction of Manufacturing Marijuana as a result of growing 29 marijuana plants at his home. The local narcotics task force received information regarding the plants, obtained a search warrant, and found five plants in the basement and 24 outside in the yard.

According to Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Clement, the plants were not very big, weighing only about 38 ounces when seized on August 2nd, but when combined with the discovery of scales associated with weighing marijuana, there was enough evidence that the plants were intended for more than just personal use once they reached their full growth.

Sampson was sentenced to ten years in prison with all except four and a half months suspended, which exceeded the recommendation of the Sentencing Guidelines of no incarceration.

In addition, the defendant will be subject to conditions of good behavior for 10 years, supervised probation upon his release for one year, and warrantless searches for five years.

Michael Eugene Buchanan

Michael Eugene Buchanan, a 27 year old Victoria man, was sentenced recently in Lunenburg Circuit Court to one and a half years in prison on a felony conviction of Malicious Wounding as a result of a drunken attack upon his 21 year old girlfriend in front of her four year old child. The two had been arguing for two days as he accused her of contact with another man.

On September 8, 2013, Victoria police were called to their residence at 1528 Sixth Street where they observed injuries to her face, head, neck ear and arm. She told the police that Buchanan was intoxicated, pushed her several times, hit her several times, knocked her down, kicked her and choked her, according to Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Clement. Photographs of the injuries were submitted as exhibits in court.

At the time of his arrest, Buchanan told police he was very sorry for what he had done, and thought it was the result of his drinking problem.

Clement said Buchanan was fortunate that the victim did not require medical attention, and that she had moved to Hawaii in the meantime and would have had to return to Lunenburg for a trial if he had not pled guilty and accepted the lower end of the Sentencing Guidelines.

Buchanan was sentenced to 20 years in prison with 18 1/2 years suspended.

In addition, the defendant will be subject to conditions of good behavior for 20 years, supervised probation upon his release for one year, no contact with the victim, counseling for substance abuse and anger management, and warrantless searches for five years.

Jason Hendricks

Jason Hendricks, a 28-year-old Lunenburg County resident of 6436 New Grove Road, was sentenced to an active sentence of eight years in prison recently in Lunenburg Circuit Court upon pleading guilty to three felony drug charges, including Distribution of Cocaine, Possession of Marijuana With Intent to Distribute, and Possession of Cocaine With Intent to Distribute. He has an additional 22 years suspended upon numerous conditions.

According to Commonwealth’s Attorney, the local narcotics task force worked an undercover operation on August 12, 2011 and purchased $100 in cocaine from Hendricks. The task force waited until the operation at that time was completed over a period of a year, and Hendricks was indicted on December 3, 2012. He was not found until he happened to ride as a passenger in a car through a traffic checkpoint in Victoria on September 27, 2013. Sgt. Kevin Abernathy of the Lunenburg Sheriff’s Office recognized Hendricks and knew the capias for his arrest was outstanding. Upon being arrested, law enforcement officers found five baggies of cocaine in his shoe, weighing about half an ounce, and almost half a pound of marijuana in the back floorboard in a cloth bag. They also found $1,460 cash in his wallet.

The eight-year active sentence, of which Hendricks will serve 85 percent, exceeds the high end of the recommendation of the Sentencing Guidelines, but Hendricks had a previous conviction of two counts of Distributing Cocaine in 2005 at age 19 at which time he was sentenced to 12 months in jail and time to be served awaiting entry into the state’s Detention Center Program in which he was to be held for about six months and participate in an intensive boot camp-styled program for young men.

Hendricks’ additional 22 years are suspended upon conditions of good behavior, supervised probation upon his release for two years, warrantless searches and seizures, counseling, and restitution of $200.

The $1,460 found in Hendricks’ wallet was forfeited to the state pursuant to the Virginia Forfeiture Act which allows the state to claim money and property derived from or substantially connected to the illegal sale of drugs or possession with intent to distribute drugs.