New Kent woman pleads guilty to taking at least $13,000 in lottery tickets from local store

A New Kent woman who stole lottery tickets while employed at a local store entered a guilty plea to the crime as part of Monday proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court.

Cassandra Aliese Grammer, 27, of the 9200 block of Deerlake Drive, pled guilty to one count of lottery ticket larceny as part of a plea agreement. One count of embezzlement was nolle prosequi.

In a summary of evidence provided by New Kent County Commonwealth Attorney Scott Renick, around Aug. 2, 2021, Grammer was working at Rick Stop and Shop at the corner of New Kent Highway and Courthouse Road. One day, she approached the manager and asked if she could work reduced hours, a request that was granted.

While reconciling lottery tickets, the manager noticed a large uptick in sales. Noticing the anomaly, the manager looked at the time frame when these sales occurred, which happened during Grammer’s shifts. Authorities were contacted, and an investigation launched with officers questioning Grammer at her house. With consent to search, several books of lottery tickets were found in her residence. According to Renick, at least $13,000 in winnings were stolen from the Virginia Lottery.

A presentence report is being prepared with formal sentencing scheduled for Aug. 28. The restitution amount will be determined as part of the sentencing procedure.

In other cases conducted in New Kent Circuit Court:

–Lorenzo Antonio Hinton, 48, of the 53000 block of W. Garfield Drive entered Alford Pleas of guilt to one count of felony eluding of police and misdemeanor DUI (second offense) as part of a plea agreement. One charge each of misdemeanor refusing to take a blood test, misdemeanor failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, and misdemeanor driving suspended/revoked after his license was suspended from a previous charge were dropped. An Alford Plea of Guilt means that while the defendant maintains their innocence, evidence presented in the trial would be enough to convict them of the crime.

In a summary of evidence, on Nov. 24, 2022, a Virginia State Trooper was conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 64 Eastbound near mile marker 221 when a vehicle nearly struck him in the emergency lane. The officer began chasing the vehicle, signaling for it to pull over. Instead, the vehicle continued until it pulled onto the offramp at exit 234 in Williamsburg, stopping at the top of the ram. The officer approached the driver and noticed a strong odor of alcohol and saw bloodshot eyes. Hinton, now identified as the driver, refused to take a blood test and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. A search warrant for his blood sample was issued, with his blood-alcohol content returning at .19, nearly two-and-a-half times the legal limit.

Hinton received a five-year sentence with four years suspended (one year to serve) on the felony eluding conviction. He received a 365-day term with all but 30 days suspended on the misdemeanor DUI charge. Of the 30 days, 20 of those are mandated by law to serve, as well as a $1,000 fine being levied against the defendant.

–Czar’Aquil T. Outlaw, 23, of the 6700 block of Kenny Lane, Portsmouth, received formal sentencing on three counts of credit card larceny.

During an Apr. 17 trial, Outlaw entered into a plea deal and acknowledged that three credit cards were in a backpack that he owned. The credit cards were not in his name, and the defendant said at the trial that he was taking the cards to someone.

Outlaw received a five-year jail sentence with four years, 10 months suspended (two months to serve) on one of the credit card larceny convictions. Five years on each of the remaining two charges were all suspended.

–Jeremy Christopher Phegley, 49, entered a guilty plea to one count of possession of a Schedule I/II drug as part of an agreement.

In a summary of evidence, on Feb. 2, a New Kent deputy responded to a residence about a suspicious vehicle. When the officer arrived, they saw a car broken down with Phegley as the driver. When the officer ran the license plates and the vehicle registration, no information about the car was discovered. Because of this, the officer placed Phegley under arrest and when the deputy informed the vehicle would be searched by a K-9 for drugs, Phegley confessed that he had a bong in the center console. The item was sent to a forensics lab, with results yielding that a white powdery substance identified as methamphetamine was inside of it.

Under the plea agreement, Phegley received a five-year jail sentence with four years, nine months suspended (three months to serve).

–Kelvin Wayne Reiners, 36, of West Point, pled guilty to one count of felony destruction of property as part of a deal.

In a summary of evidence, on Apr. 6, New Kent Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for service just after 5 a.m. at the 8000 block of Mill Creek Road. When they arrived, they discovered a man in the garage who appeared intoxicated and wasn’t wearing any pants. The homeowners, Harley and Roman Blair, said they were awakened when they heard a noise. The man, identified as Reiners, was removed from the garage and placed under arrest. The homeowners and officers inspected the garage, discovering that damage to a 2005 GMC truck as well as tools was present. Blood on both the truck and the tools belonged to Reiners.

Under the agreement, Reiners received a five-year jail sentence with four years, 10 months suspended (two months to serve). The defendant must also pay restitution in the amount of $1,498.96.

–Shera Lynette Sizer, 46, of the 1300 block of Granada Court, Newport News, entered guilty pleas to one count each of unauthorized use of a vehicle and felony failure to appear as part of a plea deal. An additional charge of unauthorized use of a vehicle was dropped.

In a summary of evidence, on May 19, 2022, Sizer had just been released from jail and was given permission to use a vehicle belonging to Ronnie Berkley while she lived with him. However, when Sizer used that vehicle to run errands, she did not return for several hours when she was supposed to, Berkley called authorities, and the vehicle was eventually located in Newport News several days later. Sizer was arrested on the charge. She was also charged with a felony failure to appear stemming from a charge in New Kent County General District Court.

Under the agreement, Sizer received a five-year sentence with all but nine months suspended on the unauthorized use of a vehicle conviction. All 10 days on the felony failure to appear charge were suspended.

–Jamil Tamir Turner, 34, of 16 N. 8th Street, Richmond, accepted the terms of a plea agreement and entered guilty pleas to one count each of felony child abuse and misdemeanor driving under the influence while a child was in a vehicle.

In a summary of evidence, on Mar. 19 a Virginia State Trooper patrolling Interstate 64 westbound clocked a vehicle traveling 96 miles per hour in a posted 70 miles per hour zone. When the officer caught up to the vehicle to execute a traffic stop, he noticed the driver’s vehicle straddling the dotted line between the left and center lane. The trooper activated his siren, and the vehicle came to a stop. The officer noticed a child in the back seat not appropriately fastened up safely as he approached the driver, who had slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol. Based on the evidence and information at the scene, the driver, now identified as Turner, was arrested on the offenses.

Under the agreement, Turner received a five-year sentence with four years, 10 months suspended (two months to serve) on the felony child abuse conviction. He received a 12-month sentence with all but five days suspended on the misdemeanor conviction, with that time being mandatory as required by state statute. He must also pay a fine of $1,000.