Virginia Beach man convicted on reduced charge of simple possession of marijuana in New Kent

A Virginia Beach man will serve a month in jail after being convicted on a reduced charge of misdemeanor simple possession of marijuana after a Monday afternoon contested trial in New Kent Circuit Court.

Logan Lee Meck, 27, of the 3300 block of Turtle Rock Drive, was convicted on the reduced charge (originally distribution of marijuana) and an accompanying charge of misdemeanor carrying a concealed weapon. One charge of misdemeanor altering a serial number on a firearm was dropped, and an additional charge of misdemeanor reckless driving was struck.

On Jan. 13, New Kent Sgt. Wyatt Johnston responded to a crash on Interstate 64 eastbound near mile marker 210 just before 2 a.m. Upon arriving, he found a silver SUV wrecked on the side of the road. As the officer approached the vehicle, he detected a strong odor of marijuana.

Meck, who had been sitting in the tow truck on scene, emerged and returned to his vehicle. Johnston testified that he questioned the defendant about illegal drugs in the vehicle. Meck became argumentative with the officer and was placed in detention. Johnston searched the vehicle and discovered a backpack on the passenger side floorboard in the back. Upon opening the bag, he discovered three large bags of plant-like material, later identified as marijuana. Also, in the bag were small plastic sandwich bags and two Glock handguns. When Johnston asked about the marijuana, the defendant claimed he had no knowledge of the drugs.

Defense attorney Gregory Sheldon called Shane Mack, the defendant’s cousin, to the stand. Shane Mack testified that the items were his.

“The backpack and the marijuana was mine,” the witness said, who had already pleaded guilty to the offenses in an earlier case. “I didn’t know anything about the firearms.”

New Kent Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory’s cross-examination targeted the relationship of the two cousins, who lived in the same residence and worked at the same place.

“I don’t know how you didn’t know about the guns,” Gregory commented.

Logan Meck elected to testify on his behalf, providing a recap of what happened that night.

“I rode with my cousin up to Richmond because he wanted to see a woman,” he commented. “I sat in the car for about three hours.

“On our way back, I think we hit a patch of ice and we wrecked,” Meck continued. “The tow truck driver told us that he was going to have to take it back to his lot because it was too dangerous to head back to Virginia Beach. That’s when I took the guns and put them in the bookbag. I didn’t even look I just put a lot of stuff in the bag.”

Gregory pointed out that the defendant had $526 on him when he was searched, with many bills in $20 increments that are normally used in drug transactions. But Meck countered and said he had just sold an ATV and didn’t have a bank account, thus the reason for holding onto the large sum of cash.

After hearing final arguments, Judge B. Elliott Bondurant rendered his view and opinion of the situation.

“The cousin says its his marijuana and one of the biggest things I looked at is the amount of money the defendant had on him,” the judge said. “But the defendant has a reasonable explanation that wasn’t refuted by the Commonwealth.

“The story of the two of them going from Virginia Beach to Richmond to see a girl and the defendant sitting in the car for three hours, I do not believe,” Bondurant continued. “But I don’t think it’s enough evidence to prove the distribution.

“But there is enough for a simple possession charge,” the judge added as he wrapped up his comments. “I think he knew it was there because of the way he reacted to the officer and became defensive. As far as the concealed weapon, I don’t find that having it in a bookbag constitutes as a container under my interpretation of the law.”

Meck received a 30-day sentence on the misdemeanor simple possession of marijuana charge. He received a 12-month sentence with all time suspended on the carrying of a concealed weapon conviction.

In an unrelated case, a Chesterfield man entered guilty pleas to two counts of possession of a controlled substance as part of a plea agreement.
Omari Akil Watkins, 48, of the 9600 block of Escada Court, pled guilty to possession of heroin and possession of Adderal. One charge of misdemeanor DUI was dropped as part of the agreement.

In a summary of evidence provided by assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Randy Del Rossi, on Oct. 26, 2018, a New Kent deputy responded to the Interstate 64 eastbound rest area on a suspicious vehicle. When officers arrived, they found the driver, identified as Watkins, parked and asleep behind the wheel. A deputy woke him up and conducted a consented search, discovering packets of heroin and Adderal were in his pockets. Watkins was placed in custody shortly afterwards.

Under the agreement, the defendant received a 10-year sentence with all but one month suspended on the possession of heroin conviction. All 10 years on the possession of Adderal conviction were suspended. Watkins must pay a $1,000 fine on each of the two charges.