From what appeared to be a classroom in the Lunenburg Correctional Center in Victoria, Va., accused murderer Chester Brown, 64, appeared by video call in Rappahannock County District Court Tuesday for a less than three-minute hearing — one his attorney, Ryan Rakness, used to remind Brown not to discuss the case with anyone but him.
Before Brown’s appearance, the courtroom was cleared to allow Brown and Rakness to speak. Rakness, whose office is in Charlottesville, said between a recent vacation he just returned from and the over two-hour distance to travel to the state penitentiary where Brown is held, he had not had many chances to speak to his client directly.
Brown has been incarcerated since 2024 in Lunenburg County serving a sentence for grand larceny of a firearm, possession of a firearm while under a protective order and felony possession of a firearm related to a pistol owned by Washington resident Doris Critzer, whose August 2023 murder he was charged with this June.
During Tuesday’s court proceedings, Commonwealth’s Attorney Art Goff and Rakness said the only reason they were there was to present an agreed motion to push Brown’s preliminary hearing — originally scheduled for Aug. 5 — to Aug. 12. District Court Judge Deborah C. Welch accepted the motion to continue.
At the end of the hearing, Rakness took a moment before Brown’s call was disconnected to remind him about “what we discussed about the phones” at the penitentiary, and to not speak to anyone about the case.
Bill Fletcher indicted on charges of reckless driving
Woodville attorney James William “Bill” Fletcher III was indicted by a Rappahannock Circuit Court grand jury Monday on two charges of reckless driving linked to two incidents around the Christmas holiday last year.
Fletcher was stopped by Deputy David Meade on Dec. 23, 2024 allegedly driving 95 mph in a 55 mph zone and again three days later on Dec. 26 by Deputy Matthew Bennett for allegedly driving 91mph in a 55 mph zone, according to court records.
These charges are separate from a previous reckless driving charge that Fletcher was found guilty of in February.
Fletcher was not in court Monday. His attorney Whitson Robinson said Fletcher had been in Costa Rica, but he believes he is back in the country and may be dealing with some medical issues.
“What could possibly go wrong,” Circuit Court Judge Robert Smith said after hearing the reasoning for Fletcher’s non-appearance.
A nonjury trial was set for Oct. 16.
Castleton man sentenced in cannon theft
James Franklin Nicholson Jr., of Castleton, was sentenced Monday in accordance with a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to stealing multiple items, including two antique replica cannons.
“I did it … and I was high on drugs, too,” Nicholson told Judge Smith before he was sentenced. “I’m sorry for it.”
Nicholson pleaded guilty to nine charges, including driving under the influence and stealing several items — including a tractor, a trailer of camping equipment, and two antique replica cannons, one of which the prosecution said is valued at around $51,000.
“This is a first for me. I’ve never seen a Napoleon, bronze 12-pounder [cannon], but that’s what we’ve got,” Goff said.
Nicholson will serve a total of four years and seven months in prison, with over 75 years of additional time suspended. When he is released, Nicholson will serve three years of probation then must maintain five years of general good behavior.
A hearing will be held on Oct. 16 to determine the amount of restitution Nicholson may be required to pay to the theft victims.
Man pleads guilty to soliciting minor on internet
A Loudoun County man entered into a plea agreement with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office Monday, pleading guilty to two charges of solicitation of a minor via the internet.
According to facts of the case agreed upon by the defense and prosecution, in October 2024, David Ramey, 38, of Brambleton initiated a lengthy online chat conversation which “immediately turned sexual,” with someone he believed was under 15 years of age. As part of an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) operation, Rappahannock Sheriff’s Detective Chris Garcia was on the other end of the chat line, posing as someone whom Ramey thought was a 14-year-old girl.
When Ramey was interviewed, he admitted to taking part in the chat conversation and sending explicit photos and videos of himself, according to court records. He was arrested in January and released on a $40,000 bond.
Judge Smith accepted the plea agreement. Ramey will serve eight years in prison for the two charges, with 32 years of additional prison time suspended, according to the plea agreement. He will remain out on bond pending his sentencing Oct. 16.
Dragonfly Gems defendant denied bond
One half of a duo charged with stealing an estimated $9,600 worth of jewelry from Dragonfly Gems in Sperryville appeared in court Monday seeking release on bail, but it was denied.
Zabar Anghel, 41, appeared before Judge Smith on a bond motion with his public defender, Ryan Ruzic, and a Romanian interpreter. Ruzic told Judge Smith that Anghel lives in Laurel, Md. and has a wife with health issues and a disabled child at home who he needs to care for. He added that Anghel is the family’s primary breadwinner and would be open to wearing an ankle monitor.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Art Goff said he opposed bond, and said Anghel and his son, Zabal Boldiszar, are suspects in other thefts of jewelry shops with “a similar MO” across Northern Virginia. He added that he objected to the idea that Anghel could be supervised well in Maryland.
Smith said he is usually reluctant to not grant bond, but denied the motion because of the other pending charges and the fact that Anghel lives out of state.
Anghel and Boldiszar will appear in District Court on Sept. 2.
