Town man pleads guilty to charge of grand larceny

By Linwood Outlaw III - loutlaw@nvdaily.com

FRONT ROYAL -- A local man has pleaded guilty to a grand larceny charge stemming from an incident in which police said he and another teen entered several parked vehicles in May.

Bruce R. Alexander Jr., 19, of 804 N. Shenandoah Ave., Front Royal, was indicted last month on one count of grand larceny. Alexander and Kimberly D. Cooley, 18, of 363 Kendrick Lane, were charged with numerous offenses stemming from attempted thefts that authorities say occurred on May 4.

Police responded to reports of suspects who matched Alexander's and Cooley's descriptions and were trying to open car doors in the Massanutten Avenue area at around 6:25 a.m. on May 4. In addition to larceny-related offenses, the pair was also charged with being drunk in public and for underage possession of alcohol, according to a news release from the Front Royal Police Department. Among the most valuable items stolen was a GPS device.

Alexander pleaded guilty to grand larceny on July 6 and was sentenced to two years, all suspended, in the penitentiary, according to online court records. He also must serve two years of supervised probation.

In other recent court matters:

• Alan Keith Drummonds, 24, of 354 Breckenridge Ct., Strasburg, pleaded guilty July 6 to distributing methadone on June 16. Drummonds was sentenced to five years in prison, with three years and 10 months suspended. In addition, Drummonds was sentenced to a year and 11 months in prison for violating terms of his probation stemming from a previous grand larceny conviction, with all but four months being suspended from that term, according to online court records. Drummonds also must serve two years of supervised probation upon his release.

• Jason Allen Giles, 33, of 305 N. Bank Street, Luray, pleaded not guilty on Aug. 2 to one count of credit card larceny and two counts of credit card fraud, crimes that prosecutors say were committed on Dec. 24. Giles was indicted on each of the charges in June. He will have a jury trial on Oct. 19.

• Clyde Eugene Burrell Jr., 31, of 535 Andrews Road, Strasburg, pleaded guilty July 6 to assault and battery on a law enforcement officer on March 19. Burrell was sentenced to three years in prison, with one year and 11 months suspended, according to court records. He also must serve two years of supervised probation upon release. A public intoxication charge against Burrell was dismissed at the July 6 hearing.

• Melissa Ann Evans, 31, of 613 N. River Road, Middletown, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of embezzlement. Evans was sentenced to one year in jail, all suspended, and must serve two years of unsupervised probation.