Defendant guilty of 18 counts

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Shenandoah judge orders Lam to serve 10 years for his role

By Preston Knight -- pknight@nvdaily.com

WOODSTOCK -- Three weeks after it appeared as if his case would linger in Shenandoah County Circuit Court even longer, Travis Lee Lam pleaded guilty to 18 burglary and grand larceny charges Wednesday morning.

Lam, 29, of Broadway, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with 10 years to serve, for the 11 burglaries and seven grand larcenies he pleaded guilty to. About 30 related charges -- all dealing with Lam's participation with Royce Lee Miller, also of Broadway, in stealing vehicles, power tools, hand tools and car parts in a near two-year period beginning in late 2006 -- were dropped.

Lam's active prison sentence will run concurrently with the 16 years of incarceration he received in Augusta, Page and Greene counties. He is still awaiting sentencing on yet another 50-plus charges in Rockingham County.

Commonwealth's Attorney Albert T. Mitchell had long planned on negotiating a transfer of the Shenandoah County charges to Rockingham County, and had expected an offer to do so would have been accepted by the defendant Oct. 14 in Circuit Court. Lam, however, surprised the prosecutor by rejecting the offer that day, and during the same court proceeding, defense attorney John Hart sought to be removed from the case because of communication issues he had with his client.

Judge Dennis L. Hupp rejected Hart's motion to withdraw, citing the fact that the case had been ongoing for a long time -- Lam and Miller were arrested in August 2008. The case was rescheduled for review Wednesday.

There was no mention of communication issues this time, and a plea agreement was submitted and accepted by Hupp. It stipulates that Lam must pay $56,285.86 in restitution in addition to serving his prison time.

"This is quite an extensive criminal enterprise," Hupp said. "The fact you're going to serve 16 years, I think, is entirely appropriate. The citizens of the commonwealth need to be protected. ... You're obviously a thief and went on a rampage."

He sentenced Miller to 38 years in prison, with nine years to serve, for 38 crimes in May.

"I dare say the last time this much havoc has been [wreaked] on the valley, the perpetrators were wearing blue uniforms," Hupp said then. "[Some] would say they had good reason. There is no such argument in this case."

In detailing the crimes Lam pleaded guilty to Wednesday, Mitchell said burglaries and larcenies occurred in towns throughout the county, as well as Fort Valley and Quicksburg. Hupp said he hopes prison will give Lam time to learn how to work to earn his "bread" instead of having to live off of other people.