Soliciting of murder charges dropped in NK Circuit Court

A Richmond man will not face charges for solicitation of murder in New Kent Circuit Court.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory dropped two charges against Clyde Cecil Armstrong, 35, of 4301 East Parham Road, during Aug. 19 proceedings.

Gregory addressed Judge Thomas B. Hoover and spoke about his meeting with Nottoway and Chesterfield officials. Those parties requested Gregory to either continue or to drop the case against Armstrong due to similar matters in those jurisdictions. Gregory added that if the case was continued, the earliest it would be heard is July of next year.

After hearing from Gregory and defense attorney Katherine Giannasi and both parties difficulty in obtaining information, Hoover agreed to drop the charges.

In an unrelated case, Eugene Meredith Otey, 38, of 9570 Richmond Road, Lanexa, accepted a plea deal to enter an Alford plea of guilty to three charges of uttering.

While maintaining his innocence, Otey stipulated that evidence presented would be sufficient to convict him of cashing three checks belonging to Kevin Bowen at Stewart’s Grocery and Lanexa Plaza on Dec. 7 and Dec. 11 of last year. David Paul Clark, who Otey had an association with, accepted a plea deal at an earlier trial. Under the plea agreement, he received five years on each of the three charges totaling 15 years, but will only serve one year as an active sentence. He must also pay restitution in the amount of $1,337.65.