By Michael Copley

Guilty plea to possession of cocaine after police search
A man was arrested for possession of cocaine when deputies responded to a noise disturbance at a residence on Mountain View Rd. in January.

Gregory C. Moogalian, 42, told police that a smoking device found inside the home was his; the pipe tested positive for marijuana and cocaine.

Moogalian pleaded guilty and will be sentenced next court term.

Woman used coworker’s credit card to pay utility bill

A woman was sentenced to five months in jail last week for credit card fraud.

Lanette O. Lee used a coworker’s credit card number to pay her electric bill in Powhatan.

Sentencing guidelines in the case called for probation without incarceration, but noting two prior convictions for stealing, Judge D’Alton imposed an active jail sentence. 
Lee was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $653.

Sex offender claimed he wasn’t provided probation information

In 2009, Larry D. Jenkins was sent to jail for failing to register as a sex offender; it was the second time he violated the terms of his probation after being convicted of carnal knowledge of a minor in 2001 and 2002. After he was released in 2010, Jenkins violated his probation again when he failed to contact a probation officer.

Defense attorney T. Noel Brooks said his client has tried to comply with the terms of his probation – that he has registered as a sex offender on four separate occasions since his release – but that probation services did not provide Jenkins with a phone number, address or the name of a probation officer to contact.

“If I was informed of where to go I would have,” Jenkins told the court last week.

“He’s the one with the problem,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Beasley said before asking the court to impose an active jail sentence. “He’s been around the system, he knows how it works and he’s not getting the message.”

Judge D’Alton ruled that the 90 days Jenkins spent in custody ahead of last week’s hearing were sufficient for time served.

Trucking company employee convicted of embezzlement

A former employee of Powhatan Motor Transportation was convicted on seven counts of embezzlement.

Roy A. Smith, Jr., 41, used his company credit card to buy diesel fuel for independent truck drivers; Powhatan Motor Transportation paid for the fuel, which Smith sold to other drivers at a reduced price.
“He was pocketing the money,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Beasley.

Over a period of seven months, Smith profited from the illegal purchase of thousands of dollars worth of diesel fuel, company records show.

Smith’s bond was revoked ahead of a sentencing hearing because of prior convictions for grand larceny, petit larceny and misdemeanor embezzlement