Release Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 5 p.m.
Harvey L. Bryant, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach, announced today that Deriell Marcus Taylor, 24 years old, previously residing in the 6000 block of Hightower Road, Portsmouth, Virginia, pled guilty to two (2) counts of Robbery, two (2) counts of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, two (2) counts of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, two (2) counts of Credit Card Theft and one (1) count of Credit Card Fraud. The Honorable Edward W. Hanson, Jr. sentenced Taylor to a total of forty-six (46) years in the Virginia Penitentiary. Thirty-five (35) years were suspended conditioned upon thirty-five (35) years good behavior and supervised probation.
On January 2, 2008, the victim was getting into her car at her home on Chantilly Court when she was approached by two black males, Taylor and co-defendant Thomas Spruill. One of the suspects pointed a gun at the victim and demanded her purse. The other suspect began to choke the victim who fought back. One suspect grabbed the victim’s purse and the two men ran away.
On January 5, 2009, a second victim parked her car in the 4100 block of Lyne Road and began walking toward her house when two black males exited a parked vehicle and approached her. One of the suspects showed her a gun and told her it was a stickup. The victim began to run but was forced to the ground and her purse was stolen. Inside the purse was $175, a phone and several credit cards. Later that day Taylor, Spruill and another co-defendant, Jessica Lafontaine, used the victim’s credit card at the Walmart in Norfolk.
On June 8, 2009, co-defendant Thomas Spruill pled guilty to six (6) counts of Credit Card Fraud, two (2) counts of Robbery, two (2) counts of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, two (2) counts of Credit Card Theft and two (2) counts of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony. Spruill was sentenced to a total of forty (40) years in the Virginia Penitentiary. Thirty-one (31) years were suspended conditioned upon thirty-one (31) years good behavior, supervised probation and no contact with the victims.
On December 2, 2008, co-defendant Jessica Lafontaine pled guilty to one (1) count of Robbery, one (1) count of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony and one (1) count of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony. Lafontaine was sentenced to a total of fourteen (14) years in the Virginia Penitentiary. Eleven (11) years were suspended conditioned upon fourteen (14) years good behavior and supervised probation.
Associate Commonwealth’s Attorney Julie L. Fink prosecuted this case. Please call Julie Pickell if additional information is desired.
Similar Press Releases: conspiracy, felony, fraud, Harvey Bryant, theft
