Quartet of men accept plea deals stemming from New Kent home invasion

Four men who invaded a home during the early morning hours of Oct. 3, 2021, in search of a person have all accepted plea deals following Monday afternoon procedures in New Kent Circuit Court.

Lane Robert Underwood, 22, of the 7800 block of Lakeshore Drive, Quinton, Cole Lyndard Dunkum, 24, of the 2800 block of Old Beech Hollow Road, Charles City, and Richard F. Bergeron, 21, of the 5200 block of Long Bridge Road, Richmond, all entered guilty pleas to an amended charge of unlawful entry (originally breaking and entering) and misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from the incident. One charge of conspiracy to commit burglary lodged at each of those three men was dropped as part of the plea agreement.

A fourth defendant, Anthony T. Underwood, 43, of the 6300 block of Memorial Drive, Sandston, entered a guilty plea to one count breaking and entering as part of his deal. One charge each of conspiracy to commit burglary and misdemeanor assault and battery were dropped as part of that deal.

In a summary of evidence provided by New Kent Commonwealth Attorney Scott Renick, on the aforementioned date Lane Underwood had gotten into an argument with an individual at a party in Henrico County. Lane Underwood traveled with Dunkum and Bergeron to the home of the individual, picking up Anthony Underwood along the way, to confront the individual who allegedly orchestrated an assault on Lane Underwood at the party.

Around 2:23 a.m., the defendants entered into the residence of the victim through an unlocked side door. The victim recognized Lane Underwood immediately and asked him why he was there. The victim said the four individuals went through the home without permission to look for the person who attacked Lane Underwood. The victim threatened to call the police and when the defendants did not leave, the victim did so. Another resident of the home had awakened and retrieved a shotgun to defend the home. But by the time that individual returned upstairs to the main floor, the defendants had left the premises and the authorities had arrived.

During testimony at the trial, Lane Underwood said that the situation was his fault and that both Dunkum and Bergeron were victims of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Anthony Underwood, Lane’s father, said he went with his son to make sure the situation did not escalate.

Under the plea deals, Lane Underwood received a 12-month sentence with eight months suspended (four months to serve) on the unlawful entry conviction. All 12 months on the misdemeanor assault and battery conviction and six months on a misdemeanor violation of pretrial services were all suspended.

Dunkum and Bergeron were both sentenced to 12 months in jail with all but one month suspended on their convictions of unlawful entry. Both of them also received six-month suspended sentences on the misdemeanor assault and battery convictions. Anthony Underwood received a 20-year sentence with all time suspended on the breaking and entering conviction.

In other circuit court matters:

–Taylor Marie Barton, 23, of the 700 block of Scott Road, Richmond had one charge of possession of a Schedule I/II drug dismissed after successfully completing the First Offender Program.

–Brianna Nash, 20, of the 6000 block of Miles Road, Powhatan, was formally found guilty on a single count of possession of a controlled substance.

During a June 15, 2020 trial, Nash entered into a plea deal stemming from a May 27, 2019 offense. On the offense date, Nash was arrested after a folded dollar bill with residue was found on her, with the residue determined to be cocaine. Nash was provided an opportunity to complete the First Offender Program, but she failed to meet all the elements and also tested positive during her afternoon trial on this day (Feb. 28).

Nash received a three-year prison sentence with all time suspended.

–Deangelo Lee Shelton, 24, of the 23000 block of Merrill Avenue, Southfield, Michigan, entered a guilty plea to a lone count of felony eluding of police as part of a plea deal. One charge of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated was dropped as part of the agreement.

In a summary of evidence, on June 7, 2021, a Virginia State Trooper attempted to pull over a vehicle after noticing that it did not have a license plate. The vehicle began accelerating and went into the Brickshire community where speeds exceeded 100 miles per hour. The vehicle eventually crashed on the golf course and the driver, now identified as Shelton, was arrested.

Under the plea agreement, Shelton received a five-year sentence with four years, six months suspended (six months to serve).