Third co-defendant in Charles City armed robbery receives four-and-a-half years in prison

A New Kent woman who assisted with the planning of a robbery in Charles City County will spend the next four-and-a-half years in prison.

Alexis Adisha Wells-Elliott, 23, received formal sentencing on a single count of robbery during Friday morning proceedings in Charles City Circuit Court.

Wells-Elliott was a co-defendant in a case involving Michael DeVaughan Gordon, 31, of the 500 block of Deter Road, Richmond, and Ahmad Amir Hutchins, 22, of the 9800 block on Tunstall Road, New Kent. On Feb. 16, 2018, the trio orchestrated a plan to rob a man after Wells-Elliott elected not to do a trick (commit prostitution) with him and instead commit the crime. The group pulled into the yard of Newsome Green with Gordon and Hutchins emerging from the vehicle to commit the robbery.

At a Jan. 4 jury trial for Gordon, Hutchins testified about his offense while Wells-Elliott was available for testifying if necessary. At Gordon’s trial, Hutchins testified that Wells-Elliott and Gordon were the orchestrators of the crime, something that Wells-Elliott confessed to during her earlier trial.

After reading letters of support from family members of Wells-Elliott and hearing from them through testimony, Judge B. Elliott Bondurant re-iterated what played into the defendant’s downfall.

“You come from a very good family and I can see that today,” the judge said. “Unfortunately, you got caught up in the drug epidemic ad this is the result.

“I have to take into account not only what I’ve heard from your character witnesses, but the effect it had on the victims,” Bondurant continued. “I remembered Mr. Green’s testimony about how he had a gun to his head and his 15-year old son having bad dreams about the incident.”

Bondurant sentenced Wells-Elliott to a 30-year prison sentence with all but four years, six months suspended.

In an unrelated case, a Charles City man will serve more than 200 days in jail for using a vehicle without permission and driving under the influence.

Jesse Edward Mondine, 38, of the 7900 block of Roxbury Road, entered guilty pleas to one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle, misdemeanor carrying a concealed weapon, and misdemeanor DUI (second offense) as part of a plea agreement. One charge of unauthorized use of a vehicle, misdemeanor refusing to take a breathalyzer, and misdemeanor driving without a license were dropped as part of the plea deal.

In a summary of evidence, on Oct. 8, 2018, an accident occurred at the intersection of Roxbury Road and Warriner Road. When officers arrived, the driver of the vehicle was gone but a witness indicated they saw the person flee into the woods. A search dog was brought to the scene, eventually located Mondine in the woods with a bottle of alcohol. A pat down of the subject discovered a revolver on him, triggering the conceal charge. A background check on the information revealed that he drove the vehicle belonging to Ronald Hartman, his stepfather, without permission. Mondine was arrested and taken into custody.

Under the plea agreement, he received 12 months in jail with 105 days suspended (260 days to serve) on the misdemeanor DUI charge. He must also pay a fine of $1,000 ($500 suspended) as well as $50 to the trauma fund. All five years on the unauthorized use of a vehicle and all 12 months on the misdemeanor carrying of a concealed weapon were suspended.