Hampton man on run for seven years enters guilty pleas to drug distribution, failure to appear in New Kent

A Hampton man who went on the run after selling drugs in New Kent has accepted the terms of a plea agreement following Friday morning proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court.

Kenneth Ray Thompson Jr., 49, of the 500 block of Vaughn Avenue, entered guilty pleas to one count each of possession of a Schedule I/II substance with intent to distribute and felony failure to appear as part of the plea deal. An additional county of possession of a Schedule I/II substance with intent to distribute was dropped as part of the agreement.

In a summary of evidence provided by special prosecutor Tyler Klink, on Sept. 11, 2015, Thompson was the target of the Twin Rivers Drug Task Force investigation. A controlled buy was set up using a confidential informant at a residence on Hogans Bridge Road. The informant met with Thompson inside of the defendant’s vehicle, purchasing four grams of cocaine for $220. Investigators took control of the substance and Thompson was arrested.

While out on bond awaiting trial, Thompson failed to appear for his Jan. 19, 2016 trial. The defendant was on the run for over seven years before a traffic stop in Emporia while he was attempting to head to North Carolina resulted in his arrest on the outstanding warrant.

Under the agreement, Thompson received a five-year sentence with four years suspended (one year to serve) on the drug distribution charge. He received another additional year of incarceration on the failure to appear conviction.