Chesterfield duo convicted of daytime burglary in New Kent

Two Chesterfield residents who robbed a home in New Kent were each convicted on charges of breaking and entering and grand larceny during a July 20 contested trial in New Kent Circuit Court.

Rachel Nicole Dillon, 18, and Bailey Scott Strickland, 20, both of the 1900 block of Chatsworth Avenue, received guilty verdicts for burglarizing the home of Kenneth Dill.

Testimony revealed that on Jan. 8, Dill left his home for work. After returning home that day, he noticed a light was on and a storm door opened. Dill thought nothing of it until a few moments later when he realized a few bottles of alcohol were missing. He searched through his home to realize seven firearms also were missing.

Deputy Craig Tolbert of the York County police responded to the home of Jeff Strickland, father of Bailey Strickland after receiving information of a firearm in the home. Upon dispatching, Tolbert and other officers located the younger Strickland and Dillon walking down the street. After a short chase, both were taken into custody. Tolbert proceeded to Jeff Strickland’s home, receiving permission to search and eventually recovered two firearms.

More witnesses testified, including Philip Henson who sold a shotgun that was sold to him by Jordan Black in the case. But it was a third co-defendant, Joshua McNeal, whose testimony helped the prosecution’s case.

“I was with Mr. [Bailey] Strickland and Ms. Dillon that day,” McNeal said. “I drove the car from his father’s home in Newport News to New Kent.

“Ms. Dillon spoke of picking up items at her house that including taking some guns,” the witness continued. “I didn’t know where I was going but we had a GPS (global positional system) and got in the car.

“I was put out the car and they [Strickland and Dillon] left us somewhere for about 30-40 minutes,” he added. “When they returned, they had several bags in the backseat and I believed I saw one that was in the shape of a shotgun.”

More testimony implicated the duo as part of the crime, eventually leading to their convictions. They are slated to be formally sentenced in October.

McNeal entered into a plea agreement to one count of grand larceny, with one count each of breaking and entering, conspiracy to commit burglary, violent felony possession of a firearm, and gang participation dropped. Under the agreement, he received a 20-year jail sentence with all but two years suspended.

In an unrelated contested case, a New Kent man was found guilty on a single count of felony eluding police.

William Henry Winston Jr., 64, of the 6300 block of Emmaus Church Road, was traveling on Route 106 (Roxbury Road) in Charles City when he passed through the radar of a Charles City deputy. The deputy pursued Winston, crossing the New Kent county line.

“When I first clocked him, he was going 68 [miles per hour] in a 55 [mph] zone,” said Charles City deputy James Clements. “Speeds reached about 75 miles per hour before he stopped at a red light at the intersection of Route 106 (Emmaus Church Road) and Route 60 (Pocahontas Trail).”

Clements testified Winston was waving his hand out the window as they approached the stoplight. The deputy could barely put his foot on the ground to exit the vehicle at the light when it turned green, resulting in Winston accelerating.

“I was doing about 91 miles per hour and I was slowly catching him,” the deputy added. “It wasn’t until I pulled in the driveway when I caught up with him.”

Winston testified on his behalf, saying he didn’t see the deputy at the stop light and indicating he was not speeding.

“I was doing about 60 miles per hour,” the defendant said. “I didn’t see any lights and I was just trying to get home. I know I wasn’t going that fast.”

Judge B. Elliott Bondurant, however, disagreed, indicating testimony from the officer and a response to a question posed by defense attorney Todd Duval pointed to the defendant’s guilt.

“I believe the testimony of the deputy when he said that he not only used lights but an audible signal and PA system to tell the defendant to pull over,” the judge said. “But it was the question posed by Mr. Duval when he asked if the deputy was catching up to defendant and the deputy responded ‘slowly.’

“The defendant knew what he was doing and I find him guilty of felony eluding,” Bondurant concluded.

Winston is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 21.

In other circuit cases on Monday’s docket:

–George Julius Nagy II, 19, of the 100 block of Southeast Terrance, Williamsburg, accepted a plea agreement to two amended charges of misdemeanor vandalism (originally felonies). In a summary of evidence, Nagy admitted he used cans of spray paint and vandalized property at Heath Industrial Park and a vehicle that belonged to the family of his ex-girlfriend whom he had gotten into an argument with. Under the agreement, he received 12 months in jail on both charges, with all time suspended. He must pay $6,900 in restitution as part of the agreement.

–Lamar O’Bryan Wallace, 26, of the 9300 block of Merrimac Trail, Williamsburg, was formally sentenced on two counts each of obtaining money by false pretenses and uttering. Wallace entered an Alford plea of guilty to charges stemming from August 2014 in a March trial where he cashed bad checks at the Bank of America. Wallace was given an opportunity to make restitution to prevent the charges appearing as felonies, but failed to do so. He received five years on each of the four charges, with all time suspended. However, he must still pay restitution in the amount of $1,256.12.