New Kent teenager receives month in jail after stealing liquor

A New Kent teenager admitted to taking items from a building as part of Monday proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court.

Shawn Christopher Fitzgerald, 19, of the 13000 block of Old Church Road, entered a guilty plea to an amended charge of misdemeanor unlawful entry (originally burglary) and one count of misdemeanor petty larceny.

In a summary of evidence provided by Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory, between Nov. 2017 and Apr. 2018, a number of items were taken from a facility rented out by Michael Chenault for his hunting club. Among these items were hunting decoys, bottles of liquor, and bottles of water. When an investigation launched in Apr. 2018, Fitzgerald went to New Kent Sheriff’s Office and admitted to stealing some bottles of liquor in Nov. 2017.

Under the plea agreement, Fitzgerald received a 12-month sentence with all but one month suspended on the unlawful entry conviction. All six months on the petty larceny charge were suspended, but the defendant must pay $100 restitution.

In another case, a Quinton man received formal sentencing after failing to meet the requirements of the first offender program.

Ralph Lamar Matthews, 23, of the 9000 block of Higgins Road, was sentenced on one charge each of possession of cocaine and misdemeanor possession of marijuana. During an Aug. 9, 2016 trial, Matthews entered into a plea agreement and admitted to possessing the substances. However, the defendant failed to complete all community service hours, picked up a new pending charge in another jurisdiction, and tested positive for marijuana during a drug test.

Matthews received a five-year sentence with all time suspended on the possession of cocaine charge. All 30 days for possession of marijuana were suspended but he must pay a $150 fine.