Ronald Lee Perkins, age 38, of the 4700 block of Teal Duck Court in Virginia Beach, Virginia, was indicted for Second Degree Murder, Eluding Police – Endangerment, and Hit and Run – Personal Injury. Perkins is charged in connection with the death of Raymond Rogers Jr. on January 2, 2012, after allegedly striking him with a vehicle while fleeing from the police.

An indictment was returned against Nicholas Allen Pierce, age 26, of the 3800 block of Buckhorn Place in Virginia Beach, Virginia, for felony Child Neglect. Pierce’s charge stems from the accidental shooting of his 4-year-old child on February 9, 2012.

The grand jury returned indictments against ten (10) individuals for felony welfare fraud:

The grand jury also indicted four (4) individuals for felony Driving Under the Influence. Those individuals are:

Please contact Macie Pridgen if additional information is desired.

Thorpe had previously been convicted of Robbery, Use of a Firearm, and Wearing a Mask in Public, which were committed when he was a juvenile. On May 28, 2007, Thorpe robbed a Getty Mart on Green Meadows Drive in the City of Virginia Beach at gunpoint. He was certified as an adult to the Circuit Court and pled guilty as charged. On December 18, 2007, he was sentenced to 25 years in the penitentiary, which was suspended conditioned upon commitment as a serious offender to the Department of Juvenile Justice for three (3) years. He was further ordered to remain on good behavior for 22 years upon his release, cooperate with investigators on other similar unsolved robberies, and pay restitution to Getty Mart.

Thorpe was released from the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice in June of 2010. Six (6) months later, on December 3, 2010, he committed an armed robbery at an Extended Stay America hotel in Newport News, Virginia. On December 12, 2011, he was sentenced in Newport News Circuit Court to serve 18 years in prison. These new offenses were violations of the conditions of his suspended sentence ordered in Virginia Beach Circuit Court in December, 2007.

When imposing his sentence today, Judge O’Brien noted that Thorpe’s juvenile criminal history began when he was only 12 years old.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Lyla M. Zeidan. Please contact Macie Pridgen if additional information is desired.​

The Commonwealth’s evidence proved that on April 5, 2011, Christy Ronsha Lamour brought her 5-year-old son, Christian Lamour, to Portsmouth Naval Hospital. Christian was not breathing when he arrived at the hospital, and his body was cold and limp. He had severe bruising, a kidney laceration, and a perforated small bowel, none of which are fatal if treated. He was pronounced deceased at the hospital. An autopsy revealed the cause of death was a perforated bowel caused by blunt force trauma.

Detectives with the Virginia Beach Police Department began investigating Christian’s death. Through the investigation, they learned that Christy Lamour’s live-in boyfriend, Che Ernest Hazell, often punched Christian, sat on him, and spanked him. Christy Lamour observed the abuse by Hazell. Lamour also spanked and beat Christian. In the hours leading up to his death, Christian was vomiting and crying constantly. Neither Christy Lamour nor Che Hazell sought medical treatment for Christian during this time.

Associate Commonwealth’s Attorney Katherine E. Orsini and Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Kari A. Kopnicky prosecuted the case. Please contact Macie Pridgen if additional information is desired.​

“Every 15 Minutes” is a two-day role-playing interactive program involving high school junior and senior students and their parents. The program’s name is derived from the fact that every fifteen minutes in the United States at least one person is killed as a result of an alcohol related crash or incident. “Every 15 Minutes” challenges students to think about drinking, personal safety, and the responsibility of making mature decisions. This anti-drinking and driving awareness program is designed to develop within the student an understanding that the decisions they make not only affect themselves, but the entire community. Over the course of two days, the participants attended a mock accident scene, trauma unit, morgue, Virginia Beach Correctional Center and Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, where the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office personnel performed a mock trial.

Bryant spoke to the students about the legal consequences of drinking and driving and urged them to make wise decisions. He emphasized that the law allows for juveniles age 14 and above to be treated as adults in DUI manslaughter cases. “This is one of the most effective deterrents to underage drinking and driving I’ve seen. My office is proud to be a part of anti-drinking and driving programs such as ‘Every 15 Minutes’,” Bryant said.

The “Every 15 Minutes” program is the result of months of coordinated effort by the VBPD Crime Prevention Unit involving the Police and Fire Departments, Emergency Medical Services, Virginia Beach Public Schools, Virginia Beach Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office, Kellum-Smith and Williams Funeral Home, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Virginians Opposing Drunk Driving, and Geico Insurance.

The Commonwealth’s evidence proved that around 4:30 in the morning on May 18, 2011, Kenneth Huff Jr. and a co-conspirator robbed the Miller Mart at the corner of Lynnhaven Parkway and Indian River Road in Virginia Beach at gunpoint. The clerk, who was the only employee working the night shift that evening, was behind the counter when the two masked men entered and pointed a gun at her chest. They jumped behind the counter and stole lottery tickets, cash from the register, and the victim’s cell phone.

A few hours later, Huff cashed a winning lottery ticket at a Food Lion in Chesapeake. An employee at Food Lion remembered Huff cashing the ticket because his winnings of $100 were rare for a scratch-off lottery ticket. Huff also engaged in a conversation about the employee’s family, which struck him as unusual because he had never seen Huff before. Images from Food Lion’s surveillance cameras showed Huff in the store. Later that day, Food Lion managers were contacted by an employee of the Virginia lottery regarding a stolen lottery ticket that had been recently cashed in their store. The ticket was registered and activated just days earlier at the Miller Mart that had been robbed at gunpoint. Huff was also linked to the robbery after his fingerprint was found on one of the lottery tickets left behind on the floor of the Miller Mart.

Huff’s prior record includes convictions for Robbery, Attempted Robbery, Use of a Firearm, four (4) counts of Grand Larceny, two (2) counts of Possession of Burglary Tools, Receiving Stolen Property, two (2) counts of Petit Larceny, two (2) counts of Concealment, Destruction of Property, Worthless Check, 11 counts of Trespassing, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Attempt to Impede Police, Contempt of Court, two (2) counts of Failure to Appear, Reckless Driving, Driving on a Suspended License, and numerous other traffic infractions.

Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Colin D. Stolle and Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Nickie L. Herron prosecuted the case. Please contact Macie Pridgen if additional information is desired.​

Further, Bryant announced that Karen Y. Watkins, 24 years old, of W. 32nd Street in Norfolk, Virginia was also sentenced for Embezzlement by Judge O’Brien. Judge O’Brien sentenced Watkins to ten (10) years in prison with all of that time suspended except 45 days. She must pay restitution to Hampton Roads Transit in the amount of $23,969. Watkins is to report to jail on April 27, 2012.

Both Watkins and Boyd pled guilty on January 25, 2012. These sentences were within the parameters of plea agreements in each case.

Had these matters gone to trial, the Commonwealth’s evidence would have proved that between January 1, 2009, and October 31, 2009, Watkins and Boyd together embezzled close to $50,000 from Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) while employed there as “vault pullers”. Buses and trolleys in Virginia Beach used the station at 1400 Parks Avenue in Virginia Beach as a collection site for bus and trolley fares. As part of their duties as vault pullers, Boyd and Watkins regularly visited the Parks Avenue trolley station to collect money from a vault and deliver it to a money room in Norfolk, Virginia, for counting. When money was pulled from the vault, it was housed in a sealed container; however, the container at the trolley station was not sealed. This allowed access to the money, which was mainly in one dollar bills.

HRT discovered numerous discrepancies in the electronic data downloaded from the buses at the trolley station and the actual amount of money counted at the Norfolk location. The discrepancies occurred when Boyd and Watkins were working shifts as vault pullers and no security guard was with them. On August 29, 2009, HRT security personnel observed Boyd and a co-worker drive the HRT money van from the trolley station to a home before arriving at the money room in Norfolk. After further investigation, Boyd and Watkins were suspended from HRT. No discrepancies in collection amounts were found after their suspension. Between January and October 2009, both women made frequent cash deposits of one dollar bills into their bank accounts.

The investigation revealed that Boyd took $24,414.00 and Watkins took $23,969.00. Boyd’s 2009 tax return shows a total income of $16,850.00, and a review of her bank statements from 2009 indicates she deposited $46,007.00. Watkins’ 2009 tax return shows a total income of $18,827.00, and a review of her bank statements indicated she deposited $45,962.00.

“A special grand jury was impaneled to hear evidence in this case and returned indictments for embezzlement against these two former employees” Bryant said. “They could not and did not consider activity by Boyd and Watkins or other HRT employees that may or may not have occurred in the HRT offices or other locations outside of their Virginia Beach jurisdiction.”

Commonwealth’s Attorney Harvey L. Bryant and Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Colin D. Stolle prosecuted the cases. Please call Macie Pridgen if additional information is desired.​

WHAT: Crime Victims’ Rights Week Ceremony

WHEN: Thursday, April 26, 2012, 7 p.m.

WHERE: The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, 2200 Parks Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23451

WHY: To honor crime victims and the advocates of victims’ rights

BACKGROUND: Each year, communities throughout the nation honor victims of crimes through various events and ceremonies. This year’s theme, “Extending the Vision: Reaching Every Victim,” recognizes that although services for victims have improved dramatically over the years, further efforts must be realized. Organizations and programs such as the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office Victim-Witness Program ensure crime victims do not struggle alone; emotional and financial support is available for them.

Delegate Salvatore Iaquinto will serve as the ceremony’s guest speaker, following the presentation of the flags by the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office and remarks and reading of the proclamation by Vice Mayor Louis R. Jones.

Three exceptional witnesses will be honored for their contribution to the fight against crime. These individuals are Sergeant David Ford of the Virginia Beach Police Department and citizens Michael Wiegand and Kenneth Zimmerman. Sergeant Ford will be honored for his perseverance and dedication to solving two cold case sexual assaults from the early 1990s. The defendant, Todd Antwone Clark, was arrested in 2009 and is awaiting sentencing on two counts of rape.

Michael Wiegand and Kenneth Zimmerman demonstrated bravery and courage as they led to the apprehension of defendant Dalton Lee Frazier on March 8, 2010. Frazier attempted to rob a clerk at a Citgo gas station at knifepoint. As he fled the scene of the crime, Wiegand and Zimmerman chased Frazier and observed him escape into the nearby Wingate Hotel. They were able to provide responding police officers a description of Frazier and notify them of his whereabouts. He was arrested within minutes of the crime, still armed with the knife. Frazier is serving a sentence of two (2) years and seven (7) months for the attempted robbery.

Other attendees of the ceremony include various city officials, members of the Parents of Murdered Children – Virginia Beach Chapter, and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office staff. Media and the public are welcome and encouraged to attend. Contact Macie Pridgen for further information.