Quinton man receives one-year jail term for chase that spanned two counties

A Quinton man will spend a year in jail after leading a high-speed chase that initiated in New Kent.

Anthony Francis Velella, 48, of the 7400 block of Lakeshore Drive, entered a guilty plea to a lone count of felony eluding of police during Monday proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court.

In a summary of evidence provided by New Kent Commonwealth’s Attorney Scott Renick, on Aug. 28, 2024, law enforcement officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle Velella was driving. Instead, the defendant took off in his vehicle, kicking off a chase that went through New Kent County and ended up in adjacent Henrico County. Velella would lose control of the vehicle, crashing into the wood-line. He attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended shortly after by officers.
Velella received a five-year sentence with four years suspended (one year to serve).

In other circuit court proceedings:

–Kentell Terrique Richbert, 23, of the 3200 block of Merrimac Trail, Williamsburg, had one charge of possession of a Schedule I/II drug dismissed after successfully completing the First Offender Program.

–Xichen Shen, 22, of the 1400 block of Glynn Springs Drive, Williamsburg, had one charge of felony eluding of police reduced to misdemeanor eluding of police following a one-year deferred judgement.

During an Apr. 29, 2024 contest trial, evidence presented revealed on Jan. 4, 2024, a New Kent deputy attempted to pull over a vehicle that was traveling 96 miles per hour in a 70-miles per hour zone. The suspect’s vehicle maintained the same speed during a construction zone. When a Virginia State Trooper joined the pursuit and attempted to get in front of the suspect’s vehicle, the car drifted to another lane and forced the vehicle into a medium. Eventually, a rolling stop was performed and the driver, identified as Shen, was arrested.

Shen, an exchange student, testified at his trial that in his homeland China, audio cues are used to signal for vehicles to turn over. He also said he didn’t thing it was a good idea to stop because he thought he would have crashed.

However, Renick argued and said that to get a driver’s license in America, Shen would have taken a test and received an instructional manual with rules and regulations. With that evidence in hand, Judge B. Elliott Bondurant convicted the defendant of reckless driving, but gave Shen a year to prove he could abide by Virginia laws.

Shen returned Monday afternoon and was able to abide by Virginia laws, resulting in his felony charge being reduced to a misdemeanor. However, the defendant received a 12-month jail sentence with six months suspended on the misdemeanor eluding conviction.