New Kent Charles City Chronicle

News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | March 29, 2024

Charges in botched robbery certified to NK grand jury

By Alan Chamberlain | December 17, 2008 9:26 am

At first, all Derek D. Moore wanted was to score some marijuana. But a simple question to another teen about where to find weed evolved into a scheme that left another teen dead.

Now, Moore and four other Williamsburg area 18-year-olds are one step closer to trial on felony charges stemming from an Oct. 14 fatal shooting and apparent botched robbery at the rented house of a reputed drug dealer in the Lanexa area of New Kent County.

Yesterday (Tuesday) after a preliminary hearing lasting just over two hours, New Kent General District Court Judge R. Bruce Long certified charges against all five teens to a grand jury. The next grand jury convenes on Jan. 12 in New Kent Circuit Court.

Moore, along with Reuben T. Tynes Jr. and Kodie L. Tyler, face one count each of attempted robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. Investigators say they, along with Christopher Greene, showed up at the house on the night of Oct. 14. Greene sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest.

John W. Chaffin and Robert M. Perez, meanwhile, are charged with one count each of conspiracy. Investigators contend they alerted the other three to the Lanexa dealer’s stash and helped set up the scheme.

Moore waived preliminary hearing yesterday after earlier agreeing to testify against