Release Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2009 3:40 p.m.
Harvey L. Bryant, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach, announced today that Carl Hemp Lester, 67 years old, previously residing in Roderfield, West Virginia, was sentenced today by Circuit Court Judge William R. O’Brien to 25 years in the Virginia Department of Corrections on convictions of Malicious Wounding and Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a felony. The Court suspended 15 years of the sentence conditioned upon indefinite supervised probation, 15 years good behavior and payment of court costs.
The Commonwealth’s evidence proved that on December 9, 2008, at approximately 8:00 in the morning the victim, Michael David Troglin, pulled into his driveway on Dock Landing in the City of Virginia Beach. A light colored Ford Focus, occupied by a female driver and a male passenger, pulled up behind him. As the female driver sat in the driver’s seat of the vehicle the male passenger of the Ford Focus, armed with a long rifle, fired approximately eight shots at the victim striking him several times. The suspects then fled. A witness who observed the incident got a partial license plate number.
Mr. Troglin was transported to Virginia Beach Hospital with several gunshot wounds. Virginia Beach Police Department Forensics responded recovering several 22 caliber Super X ammunition shell casings at the scene.
The vehicle used during the shooting was located at a used car dealership belonging to the victim’s brother-in-law who had allowed his mother, Virginia Wheeler, and her brother, Carl Lester, to use the vehicle while they were in town. Both Virginia Wheeler and Carl Lester fled the area just after the shooting. They were located 12 hours later by West Virginia State Police in Welch, West Virginia. A box of .22 caliber Super X long rifle ammunition was located inside Virginia Wheeler’s vehicle in West Virginia.
Michael Troglin suffered loss of vision in one of his eyes and reduced movement in one of his arms. He was able to identify Carl Lester as the male passenger who shot him. Virginia Wheeler later admitted she was the driver of the car at the time of the shooting. Mrs. Wheeler will be sentenced on September 15, 2009.
Carl Hemp Lester’s prior criminal history includes convictions for Robbery, Burglary, Grand Larceny which occurred decades ago and multiple traffic offenses including Driving Under the Influence.
Senior Commonwealth’s Attorney Charles D. Griffith, Jr. prosecuted the case. Please call Julie Pickell if additional information is desired.
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