Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
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| Former fire official faces four counts |
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Tuesday, February 9, 2010
A former assistant chief with the city Fire and EMS Department was among 43 people indicted Monday by a grand jury in Martinsville Circuit Court.
John W. “Jay” Russell Jr., 40, of 1204 Corn Tassel Trail, Martinsville, was indicted on one count each of grand larceny, embezzlement, obtain money by false pretense and misappropriation of public funds in connection with incidents between Jan. 1, 2007, and June 30, 2009.
All the counts are felonies.
According to a news release from the city, Russell was hired in December 1993 and terminated on June 30. He was a shift supervisor and was in charge of managing time records for all employees of the Fire and EMS Department, the release said.
According to the release, alleged “discrepancies” in Russell’s own time records were discovered in early June. A preliminary investigation was conducted internally as a personnel matter, the release said.
After reviewing those findings, Russell was terminated, it said.
“Additional discrepancies” allegedly were discovered, and the findings were turned over to Commonwealth’s Attorney Joan Ziglar.
To avoid bias, the investigation was handled by the Virginia State Police, the release said. Mecklenburg Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Petra Haskins was appointed special prosecutor.
Sgt. Robert Carpentieri of the Virginia State Police said he could not comment on the case Monday.
Neither Fire Chief Kenneth Draper nor Haskins could not be reached for comment. City spokesman Scott Coleman declined to answer additional questions about the case.
According to the release, the department “has instituted changes in their policy regarding how hours worked must be logged for all employees” in the wake of the investigation.
An indictment is not an indication of guilt. It is a grand jury’s determination that enough evidence exists to hld a trial.
Also among the 69 indictments issued Monday were:
• Markee Pritchett, 30, 212 Massey St., Martinsville, on one count each of aggravated malicious wounding, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, discharge a firearm in a public place — injury, robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, Sept. 15.
• Eric Donnell Smith, 40, 55 W. Church St., Martinsville Jail, unlawful wounding, Nov. 2.
• Ashley Nicole Talley, 24, 512 Letcher St., Martinsville, obtain money by false pretenses, April 9.
• Shanesia Danielle Turner, 18, 911 Glade St., Martinsville, on one count each of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, robbery and conspiracy, Aug. 17.
• Jerry Alexander Vaughn, 19, 1055 Rives Road, Martinsville, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, May 30.
• Johnny Lamont Williams, 42, 144 Chip Circle, Martinsville, drive while habitual offender, second offense, Oct. 21.
• Robert Jason “Jay” Bailey, 35, 284 Hanover Drive, Martinsville, on one count each of statutory burglary and grand larceny, Sept. 18.
• William Michael Bailey, 19, 284 Hanover St., on one count each of statutory burglary and grand larceny, Sept. 18.
• Glen Michael Baker, 46, 1016 Griggs Road, Martinsville, grand larceny, Nov. 12.
• Melvin Edwards Conner, 45, 64 Elam Drive, Ridgeway, shoplifting — third offense, Sept. 29.
• James “Bobby” Robert Greene, also known as James Robert Greene Jr., 43, 816 Sheffield St., Martinsville, possess cocaine, Feb. 6, 2009.
• Melvin Tyrone Hairston, 51, 102 Pony Place, Martinsville, drive while habitual offender — second or subsequent offense, Aug. 22.
• Rodney O’Neal Jamison, 40, 205 Southland Drive, Martinsville, drive under the influence — third offense, Aug. 29.
• Doris Marie Johnson, also known as Doris Reid Rudd, 62, 1616 Stultz Road, Martinsville, shoplifting — third offense, Sept. 17.
• Anthonette Marque Martin, 20, 755 Stultz Road, Martinsville, felony destroy property, June 23.
• Calvin Norwood Moore, 42, 309 Sunset Ave., Martinsville, drive while habitual offender — second offense, Oct. 3.
• Anthony Will Penn, 18, 165 Yvonne Road, Martinsville, on one count each of statutory burglary, grand larceny and possess burglarious tools, Oct. 11-12.
• Rita Faye Pettie, 48, 935 Blankenship Road, Martinsville, forge public document, Jan. 29, 2009.
• Ricky Poteat, 44, 99 Dixie St., Collinsville, one count each of assault and batter of a police office and felony elude police, Sept. 3.
• Gene Terry Qusenberry, 47, 1839 Ridgecrest Drive, Collinsville, grand larceny, Oct. 11.
• Kevin Joseph Schandel, 32, 60 Brandermill Drive, Fieldale, shoplifting — third offense, Nov. 6.
• Brian Elliott Sutzer, 39, 909 Askin St., Martinsville, possess firearm by a convicted felon, Oct. 3.
• Eduin Alexander Rosales Vasquez, 28, 214 Greyson St., Martinsville, felony hit and run, Nov. 14.
• Chiee Antoine Walton, 35, 409 Virginia St., Martinsville, felony elude police, Oct. 2.
• Alvin Chauncer Martin, 20, 806 South St., Martinsville, obtain money by false pretense, Aug. 29.
• Antonio Diallo Manns, 36, 813 Olympia St., Martinsville, fail to re-register as a sex offender, Aug. 3.
• Kathy Lynn Helton, 25, 102 White Fox Lane, Bassett, on one count each of grand larceny and statutory burglary, Jan. 26, 2008.
• Steve Anthony Harrison, 51, 310 Confederate Ave., Martinsville, obtain drugs by deceit, July 16.
• Fred Dean Harrington, 58, 40 Lombard Circle, Martinsville, on one count each of forgery and utter forged check, Oct. 30, 2008.
• Mariam Yvonne Harley, 61, 3247 Horsepasture-Price Road, Ridgeway, obtain drugs by deceit, Oct. 12.
• Mahlon Oneal Hairston, 29, 2184 Northfork Road, Martinsville, on one count each of robbery and attempted robbery, Aug. 25.
• Eric Matthew Durham, 19, 394 Woodland Road, Bassett, on one count each of grand larceny and statutory burglary, Oct. 1.
• Jonathan Dwayne East, 20, 5010 Greensboro Road, Ridgeway, on one count each grand larceny and statutory burglary, Oct. 1.
• Brandon Michael Dillon, 23, 155 Cope Craig Road, Bassett, on one count each of grand larceny and statutory burglary, Oct. 1.
• Victor Dale Clarke, 49, 114 Summit St., Martinsville, fail to register as a sex offender, June 15.
• Ella M. Bryan, 63, 140 Blue Ridge Circle, Floyd, on three counts of obtain drugs by deceit, Jan. 14, 2008; Feb. 4, 2008 and July 28, 2008.
• Justin Kade Belcher, 36, 390 Jeanette Drive, Danville, on five counts of obtain drugs by deceit, October - November.
• Norman Alexander Schoefield, 43, 900 Second St., Martinsville, grand larceny, May 20.
• Connie J. Monahan, 37, 183 Poplar St., Ridgeway, embezzlement, between March 1, 2003, and April 1, 2004.
• Fatimah Kabara Shareef, 22, 1556 Stultz Road, Martinsville, shoplifting — third offense, Nov. 13. |
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