New Kent man admits to taking gun, burglarizing home for tools

A New Kent man who burglarized a home and stole tools entered guilty pleas as part of afternoon proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court.

Todd Anthony Clements, 36, of the 6600 block of Putneys Mill Road, New Kent, entered guilty pleas to an amended charge of possession of a weapon by a nonviolent felon (originally possession of a weapon by a violent felon), grand larceny, and burglary.

In a summary of evidence provided by Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory, on Sept. 20, 2018, the defendant’s father reported his firearm was missing. Between Oct. 19-20, 2018, a New Kent deputy responded to the residence of Paul Simpson. Simpson told the officer that tools had been stolen from his truck and his garage. The officer investigated, locating many of the items on a pawn shop’s website and recovering information that Clements was the individual who sold the tools. When arrested and questioned about the tools, the defendant admitted he had stolen them. When asked about his father’s weapon, Clements admitted that he stole the pistol and exchanged it for heroin in Richmond.

A presentence report is being prepared on the defendant, with sentencing guidelines recommending a term of three years to five years, five months. Formal sentencing is scheduled for May 6, but the defendant must also pay $1,640 in restitution to Simpson for tools not recovered from the pawn shop.

In other circuit court proceedings:

–Mark Thomas Clementi Jr., 35, of the 10000 block of Old Town Lane, New Kent, received formal sentencing on one charge of felony driving suspended after being revoked due to a third DUI within 10 years, and felony failure to appear. During a Dec. 17, 2018 trial, evidence indicated that the defendant was driving erratically on Interstate 64 before being pulled over by an officer during a traffic stop.

Clementi received a five-year sentence on the driving suspended conviction with four years suspended, with the one year to serve being a mandatory minimum required by the state statute. He received a 12-month sentence with 11 months suspended on the felony failure to appear conviction.

–Robert Meredith Otey Jr., 36, of the 15000 block of Rockahock Road, Lanexa, received formal sentencing on a single county of unauthorized use of a vehicle. During a Dec. 17, 2018 contested trial, Otey was found guilty of using a truck belonging to William Jones and using it without his permission when he went to tow his own vehicle that had broken down.

Otey received a five-year jail sentence, with four years, 10 months suspended (two months to serve).