Not guilty verdict rendered on felony, but Quinton man convicted on misdemeanors

A Quinton man received a not guilty verdict on a lone felony charge, but received guilty convictions on three misdemeanor charges during a June 27 afternoon contested trial in New Kent Circuit Court.

Jamshid Alaei Yeganeh, 36, of the 9000 block of Cosby Mill Road, was found guilty on one count each of misdemeanor charges of assault and battery on a family member, violation of a protective order (second in five years), and brandishing a firearm. He was found not guilty on a lone charge of felony violation of a protective order (third in 20 years).

During the trial, prosecutor Clay Blanton questioned the victim on circumstances surrounding three separate events involving Yeganeh. Starting on July 6, 2015, the victim came home to pick up her kids from a day of work, only to be confronted by the defendant. Yeganeh and the victim, who were in an on and off again relationship for several years, begin discussing her whereabouts. Yeganeh refused to believe the victim as she gathered the kids and left her home in her vehicle. The defendant followed in his car as she traveled to her sister’s house in Henrico. The result of the incident prompted the first protective order.

On Nov. 12, 2015, the victim had completed her job and returned to her house. As she was making breakfast, she turned around to see Yeganeh in the home. According to her testimony, the defendant pointed a gun at her, threatening to kill her and himself if they didn’t reestablish a relationship. Fearful she wouldn’t see her children, the victim told Yeganeh that they could work things out in an attempt to end the confrontation. The incident led to the second protective order issued against the defendant.

On Dec. 2, 2015, an order was served on the defendant after he was arrested on the aforementioned accusations. During his court appearance, he was served another protective order. A letter postmarked with the same date arrived at the victim’s house asking for her and the children to visit him while he was incarcerated in jail.

During arguments, Blanton focused on the third date, saying the defendant knew he was going to be served prior to his sending the letter. However, defense attorney Mary Andreaos rebutted, saying that while the envelope was postmarked Dec. 2, the letter referenced no specific date. Yeganeh testified that he wrote the letter on Dec. 1, prior to the new protective order being served on him.

Judge B. Elliott Bondurant agreed with Andreaos that the prosecuting attorney did not provide enough burden of proof to the origin date of the letter.

“How do I know this letter wasn’t written before this?” Bondurant questioned Blanton. “I just don’t see enough here to convict him on the felony charge.”

The judge, however, did find enough sufficient evidence to convict the defendant on the three misdemeanor charges.

Yeganeh received a total amount of 30 months to serve on the three misdemeanor charges. Of the time imposed, he will serve nine months of active incarceration (six months on brandishing a firearm, two months on the violation of a protective order, and one month on the assault and battery of a family member).

In an unrelated case, a Williamsburg teenager has been placed on probation for the next 20 years after receiving formal sentencing.

Deondre Elijah Pittman, 18, entered an Alford guilty plea to one count of attempted burglary last April as part of a plea deal. While maintaining his innocence, evidence stipulated that Pittman and another individual attempted to break into a home. A neighbor noticed the activity and wrote down the license plate of the vehicle Pittman was operating and proceeded to call police. Pittman was later captured and taken into custody.

Pittman received a 10-year prison sentence with all time suspended. He was placed on probation and must pay $1,325.12 in restitution.