Shooter Gets Six Years in Prison

Staff Report

LUNENBURG – Tommy Joe Bailey, a 27-year-old of 717 LeGrande Ave., Charlotte Court House, was sentenced to an active sentence of six years in prison recently in Lunenburg Circuit Court upon pleading guilty to one felony count of Shooting at an Occupied Vehicle, one felony count of Shooting From a Vehicle, one felony count of Possession of a Firearm While a Felon, and one felony count of Use of Firearm During Felony.  He has an additional 52 years suspended upon numerous conditions. The active sentence exceeded the Sentencing Guidelines by three-and-half years, but also included consideration of a Show Cause for Violation of Probation.

A summary of evidence was presented to the circuit court on March 20th by Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Clement revealing that on September 5, 2017 the Lunenburg County Sheriff’s Deputy Alex Madison responded to a complaint that two men in a vehicle had been shot at 10680 Lunenburg County Road.  They said they recognized the shooter in the back seat as Tommy Joe Bailey using a handgun and firing one shot and screaming an obscenity at them.  Their vehicle was not hit by any bullet.

They also recognized a friend of Bailey’s in the front seat.  Law enforcement officers in Charlotte County spotted the vehicle and found Bailey, Kenny Friend and Cassie Thompson in the vehicle.  The handgun was not found in the car, but based on information provided, Sgt. Adam Martin of Lunenburg found the Taurus 709 Slim 9 mm on the side of the road where it had been thrown out when the occupants saw the police.  No fingerprints were found on the weapon.

Bailey would not talk about the incident, only complaining that one of the individuals in the other vehicle had shot at him earlier.

Bailey’s additional 52 years are suspended upon conditions of good behavior, indefinite supervised probation upon his release, warrantless searches and seizures, mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, and no contact with the victims.

Cash in the amount of $2,338 was forfeited to the state at a separate hearing earlier in Circuit Court 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.  An ion scan revealed a significant detection of cocaine on the cash money, and Bailey did not convince the judge that the cash was obtained legitimately.  Bailey was convicted in 2012 of three felony drug charges, Possession of Firearm While in Possession of More Than One Pound of Marijuana, and Felony Child Neglect for which he served five years in prison.  In that incident $5,585 cash found in a jar in the bedroom of the house was forfeited to the state.  Bailey bragged at that time, “I am the man.  Everybody in Charlotte County gets their weed from me directly or indirectly.”