South Carolina man hit with 18-month jail sentence for eluding New Kent police

A South Carolina man will spend a year-and-a-half in jail after pleading guilty to a 2018 traffic offense.

Jonathan C. Long, 39, of the 600 block of Muckerman Road, Bennettsville, entered a guilty plea to one count each of felony eluding of police and an amended charge of misdemeanor failure to appear (originally felony failure to appear) as part of an agreement reached Monday in New Kent Circuit Court. One charge of misdemeanor driving without a license was dropped as part of the plea deal.

In a summary of evidence provided by Commonwealth Attorney Scott Renick, on July 27, 2018, a Virginia State Trooper saw a 2010 Mercedes Benz run a stop sign after getting off Interstate 64 at Exit 214 (Providence Forge). The vehicle made a left on 155 South (Courthouse Road) and the trooper initiated a traffic stop. When the officer stepped out of his vehicle and approached the driver, the Mercedes sped away. The pursuit reached speeds of 100 miles per hour before the Mercedes pulled into the fire station on Courthouse Road. When the officer asked the driver why he fled, the driver, now identified as Long, said he was scared and didn’t have a license. Long was arrested and received an additional charge due to not showing up for his original trial date in April 2021.

Under the agreement, Long received a five-year jail sentence with three years, six months suspended (one year, six months to serve) on the felony eluding conviction. He will also serve a mandatory sentence of 10 days for failing to appear for his trial.

In other New Kent Circuit Court proceedings:

–Tracy Bunting Jr., 32, of the 400 block of North Trellis Court, Newport News, pled guilty to a single count of felony eluding as part of a plea agreement.

In a summary of evidence, on May 11, 2022, a Virginia State Trooper noticed a motorcycle traveling a high rate of speed on Route 106 (Emmaus Church Road) before exiting on Interstate 64 eastbound. When the officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop, the vehicle pulled into the eastbound rest area, slowed down, before accelerating again. A pursuit ensued reaching speeds of 112 miles per hour before the motorcycle used Exit 220 (West Point) to leave the main highway and pulled over and stopped. From there, the driver, now identified as Bunting, was placed under arrest and taken into custody.

Under the plea agreement, a pre-sentence report is being prepared with formal sentencing scheduled for Aug. 22. While sentencing guidelines recommend a time frame of active incarceration anywhere from seven months to one year, four months, the agreement says that no more than 11 months of active jail time will be recommended.

–Michael Lee Jones, 40, of the 13000 block of Matthews West Drive, Centreville, was formally sentenced to six months in jail on two counts of extortion.

During an April 18 case, Jones admitted that on Oct. 13, 2021, he wrote text messages to his victim who lived in New Kent that he would kill them, and they need to “count your days”. He later added a message that said, “I will put an end to all of this”, resulting in the second count of extortion.

Jones received a five-year sentence with four years, six months suspended (six months to serve) on the first count of extortion. All five years on the second charge were suspended.

–Jeffery Allen Lewis Sr., 58, of the 10000 block of Mt. Prospect Road, New Kent, entered an Alford Plea of Guilt to one count of misdemeanor violating a protective order as part of an agreement. Two additional charges of misdemeanor violating a protective order, and one charge each of strangulation and misdemeanor assault and battery were dropped. An Alford Plea of Guilt means that while the defendant maintains his innocence, evidence presented in the case would be enough to convict him of the crime.

In a summary of evidence, on Nov. 17, 2021, there was an allegation of assault between Lewis and a victim after an altercation. A protective order was issued against Lewis, but two days later while he was in jail, he made a total of nine calls to a residence where the victim frequented. Reports of these calls were reported, and the defendant was charged with the offense.

Under the plea agreement, Lewis received a 12-month jail sentence with all time suspended.

–Allison Erica Weagley, 32, of the 13000 block of Cypress Drive, Lanexa, entered guilty pleas to one count each of possession of a Schedule I/II drug (methamphetamine) and misdemeanor DUI (second offense) as part of a plea agreement.

In a summary of evidence, on Oct. 22, 2021, a New Kent officer noticed a Chevrolet Malibu parked crookedly in front of the Walgreen’s in Providence Forge. The vehicle also had a window down despite pouring rain. The officer waited a half hour and noticed the defendant get into her car. As the car exited the parking lot, the window was still down despite the pouring conditions and the vehicle ran over a curve. The deputy also observed the vehicle sit at the traffic light of the intersection of Courthouse Road (Route 155) and Route 60 (Pocahontas Trail) for two cycles. The officer executed a traffic stop and noticed signs of intoxication. When Weagley was questioned about her status, she admitted to smoking crack earlier in the day. The officer arrested the defendant, and a search of her vehicle discovered a plastic bag with a white substance in it, later identified as methamphetamine through a laboratory test.

Under the agreement, Weagley will enter the First Offender Program and if she successfully completes it, she will have the drug charge dismissed. She must serve a mandatory minimum of 20 days on the DUI (second offense) conviction and also pay a fine of $500.