Henrico Jail East escapee convicted on 15 charges after contested trial

A New Kent man who escaped from Henrico Jail East has been found guilty on a total of 15 charges.

Howard Allen Groffel, 52, currently of Henrico Jail East, received verdicts of guilty on one count of each of escape, grand larceny, possession of ammunition by a felon, and misdemeanor entering into a vehicle during Dec. 21 contested trial proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. He was also handed guilty convictions on five counts of misdemeanor transport of a firearm while under a protective order, four counts of credit card larceny, and two counts of possession of a weapon after being convicted of a felony. One charge each of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and misdemeanor carrying of a concealed weapon were dropped.

On Apr. 25, Groffel was transported from New Kent Courthouse to Henrico Jail East in Barhamsville after being convicted of crimes in New Kent General District Court, including one that stemmed from violating a protective order. After arriving to the jail, he was instructed by a guard to have a seat in the booking area and watch the instructional video for new commits to the facility. During that time, a shift change at 7:15 p.m. occurred with Sgt. Robert Shope of Henrico Sheriff’s Office manning the desk in the booking area.

As Shope answered a phone, he looked up to notice Groffel had disappeared from the area. A search of the corridor and restroom yielded no results.

“I contacted Central Control and asked another deputy if he had let anybody out and he said yes,” Shope testified.

Video evidence captured Groffel walking down a corridor to the magistrate’s office waiting area. Groffel had hit the buzzer and was granted access into the office area. Another button was pressed by the defendant and access was gained to the main lobby. From there, Groffel exited the unsecured front door.

Authorities from Henrico, New Kent, Virginia State Police, and special agencies were notified, with all the groups convening at the jail for an overview of the situation. Police received a tip that Groffel had appeared near the 7500 block of Angel View Lane. A search party formed at Angel View Baptist Church with all police entities walking down the road.

Chris Lanno of Henrico County Police led the way behind K-9 Unit Gracie. The bloodhound tracked the defendant’s scent to Lee’s Reach Drive, approximately half-a-mile from the church. From there, the K-9 bared to the right into the woods, when a flashlight from one of the following officers beamed off a reflective life. Officers activated thermal imaging units, detecting a body in the forest where Gracie had led them too. The reflecting light was coming from a vest that Groffel was wearing.

The defendant complied with orders to lay on the ground. New Kent Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Jenkins approached Groffel and discovered a handgun attached around his ankle with a Velcro holster. Jenkins retrieved the gun and gave it to fellow officer Ethan Townsend to secure. In a pile near where the defendant was lying included candy, medicine, and a wallet belonging to Samuel Howard.

Howard said he was awaken around 1 a.m. by police and questioned about any missing items.

“The police asked me if I had any missing items,” Howard said. “I told them not that I was aware of.”

But the items recovered did belong to Howard. Among them were the handgun, four credit cards, ear buds, and other identification. Howard said that he normally takes those things inside with him but circumstances that night prevented him from doing so.

“My wife and I arrived home around 7 p.m. [on Apr. 25] and it was a steady rain coming down,” he said. “Normally, my wife would go in and unlock the garage door for me to enter.

“Instead, I went in with a pizza we had picked up and opened the door for her,” Howard continued. “Normally when I get out last, I lock the doors of my truck with my keys. But I handed her the keys to the truck as I went inside.”

Howard also said he received a text message about an inmate escaping from Henrico Jail East around 9 p.m. From there, he elected to stay inside with his wife with the doors lock. Unbeknownst to the victim, Groffel entered the unlocked truck, removing the aforementioned items as well as snacks, a flashlight, and the vest he was wearing upon his recapture.

While incarcerated, Groffel made a phone call to his neighbor Henry Green Jr. on May 13. A recording of the conversation played in court, with Groffel asking Green to remove something from his shed.

“I was asked to go to his shed and clean some stuff off,” Green testified in court. “Groffel told me to look in the back behind some boxes and find some cases.”

Those cases were inside a cabinet box made of tin according to Green. Inside two cases found was a heavy-duty rifle, a shotgun, and ammunition for another firearm. Because Groffel is a convicted felon stemming from convictions in Florida, he is not allowed to own guns in Virginia.

“Detective [Joey] McLaughlin came to my home and asked if I had anything belonging to Groffel,” Green added. “I told him that I was glad that he was there, and I showed him the guns.”

McLaughlin testified that he recovered the weapons after listening to phone conversations involving the defendant and Green. Sheriff J. Joseph McLaughlin Jr. added that during an interrogation of Groffel, the defendant said that he didn’t escape and that he was let go.

With the prosecution resting and the defense presenting no evidence, defense attorney Ivan Fehernbach argued to strike several charges. Fehernbach’s only success came in striking evidence that accused Groffel of being a violent felon, citing a differential of definitions between Florida law and Virginia law. The defense lawyer’s argument about the escape centered around the officer allowing Groffel to leave.

But Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory fired back, citing the definition of escape under Virginia Law.

“Under the second definition, escape is defined as an unlawful departure from lawful custody,” Gregory said. “He did book… right out the front door.”

Bondurant agreed, saying that Groffel knew what he was doing when he left the facility.

“Mr. Groffel took advantage of an incompetent Henrico County Sheriff’s employee,” the judge said. “But Mr. Groffel knew what he was doing when he walked out that door.”

A presentence report is being prepared, with formal sentencing for Groffel scheduled for March 12.