New Jersey man accepts plea deal to cocaine possession in New Kent Circuit Court

In what New Kent Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory deemed as an unusual case, a New Jersey man accepted a plea deal in Monday morning New Kent Circuit Court proceedings for possession of cocaine, despite not being in Virginia at the time of the offense.

Alfonzo Williams Jr. 38, of the 200 block of Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City, entered an Alford Plea of guilty to an amended charge of possession of cocaine (originally distribution of cocaine). The Alford Plea indicates that while Williams maintains his innocence, evidence in the case would be enough to find him guilty of the offense.

In a summary of evidence, last Nov. 14, Kerron Bacchus, who is Williams’ cousin, was traveling on Interstate 64 eastbound at a high rate of speed when a state trooper observed him. As the trooper began to pursue the vehicle to pull it over for speed, he noticed an object that looked like a cigarette thrown from the window. After executing the stop the officer noticed marijuana in the vehicle and questioned Bacchus if there were any more drugs in the vehicle. Bacchus replied there wasn’t and consented to a search of the vehicle.

As the trooper got to the trunk of the car and opened it, he noticed several bags of cocaine as well as a scale in the trunk. Approximately 71.8 grams of the substance was located in the vehicle, with Bacchus denying any knowledge of it. The trooper arrested Bacchus for possession of the marijuana and distribution of cocaine.

At Bacchus’ preliminary hearing, Williams appeared and testified that the cocaine in the trunk belonged to him. The defendant said Bacchus had no knowledge of the drugs in the trunk of the car and said the vehicle belonged to him. Williams was later indicted on the cocaine charge, while charges of distributing cocaine were dismissed against Bacchus.

Under the plea agreement, Williams received a 10-year jail sentence, but will serve two years of active time.

In other circuit court proceedings on Monday:

–Scott William Bettis, 44, of the 8100 block of Henpeck Road, New Kent, accepted a plea agreement to one count of DUI (third offense). In a summary of evidence, last Jan. 19, a New Kent deputy was directing traffic after a crash as a state trooper assisted on the scene. A vehicle, driven by Bettis, failed to stop for the deputy, prompting the trooper to execute a traffic stop. An odor of alcohol was detected from the defendant and a field sobriety test was conducted. After Bettis failed the test, he was arrested and taken into custody.

Under the plea agreement, Bettis received a five-year jail sentence with all but four months suspended. He must also pay a $2,500 fine ($1,000 suspended) and his driver’s license is revoked indefinitely.

–Shalia Marie Brown, 21, of the 200 block of Buckroe Road, Hampton, accepted a plea deal and entered an Alford plea of guilty to one count of obtaining money by false pretenses. One charge of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretenses was dropped. While the defendant maintained innocence, evidence presented indicated that on Dec. 13, 2014, Brown and a co-defendant stole jewelry from a Hampton residence and pawned it at the Gold and Silver Mine shop in Quinton. Information indicated that Brown was the one who signed paperwork to obtain money from the sale of the stolen jewelry. Under the agreement, she received a five-year jail sentence but will only serve two months of active time. She must also pay $3,000 as part of the restitution.

–Alison Aurelia Henderson, 28, of the 7700 block of North Franklin Way, Quinton, was sentenced to three years in jail, with two years suspended on one charge of assault and battery on a family member. In March of this year, Henderson entered a guilty plea to assaulting Philip Langhorne on Jan. 9. A formal finding of guilt was rendered in court proceedings stemming from information received in a pre-sentence report, resulting in one year of active time in jail.

–Jessica Lynn Kennedy, 34, of the 8400 block of N. Henpeck Road, Quinton, accepted a plea agreement and entered a guilty plea to one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle. On Jan. 8 last year, an argument during an incident on Henpeck Road resulted in police responding to the scene where Kennedy allegedly took money. After charges weren’t pressed upon a verbal agreement to pay the money, officers returned the next day to locate Kennedy, who had left the scene using the vehicle of Wayne Isgett without permission. Officers tracked the vehicle being used by two men, who said that Kennedy had loaned them the vehicle at the cost of $130. The defendant was later located and arrested on the offense.

Under the agreement, she received a five-year jail sentence, with four years, eight months suspended (four months to serve). She also must pay $100 in restitution from the earlier incident.