Juvenile criminal told to wait another year for early release

By Linda Cicoira

A local East Side Blood Gang Villains’ member opened fire at an unmarked Dodge Charger in Cheriton in July 2022 when he was a young teenager. The target was occupied by a long-time officer, not a rival gang member, as the kid thought.

Propelling bullets flew as the 31 spent cartridges found at the scene had disclosed. Four of the cartridges came from the gun of now 17-year-old Jamarion (Khoppa) Javion S. Lafferty, who was 14 when the incident occurred. He was the only one arrested in connection with the incident.

Miraculously, Lt. Steve Lewis, of the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office, who was inside the car, was not injured. At first, the officer thought the gang members were shooting at each other. He soon realized that wasn’t the case as his vehicle was hit twice. It was later confirmed that a rival gang member drives a similar car.

Lafferty was tried as an adult because of the seriousness of the crimes. Now he is trying to get out of juvie and get on with his life. At a serious offender review on Monday in Northampton Circuit Court, he was denied a commuted sentence that would allow him to enter an independent living program in Virginia Beach or go home to live with his mother and siblings if there isn’t room for him in that program.

The defendant was told to try again in a year.

“He was young when he did this, said Commonwealth’s Attorney Jack Thornton. “He picked up a grown-up tool and fired at a human being.” The group “lay in wait” for what they thought were their rivals. Thornton said it was premeditated.

“Mr. Lafferty has exhibited a lot of promise,” the prosecutor continued. “He exhibited that at sentencing. He is intelligent. Risk assessment shows a leader. That can be helpful, good, and bad.” Thornton said he didn’t want what Lafferty had gotten from detention to wane. Still, he said it is too soon for him to be released.

“The bottom line is this was a horrific crime,” said Judge Lynwood W. Lewis Jr. “Lucky the officer was not killed due to gunfire. The risk assessment is significant … No matter how good the programs are at Bonaire (Juvenile Correctional Center), the progress is not completely consistent,” the judge said. “We need to see some consistent improvement. Protection of the community is at risk here. I’m heartened that he is making this progress. More of a track record is needed,” Lewis added.

Lafferty was given what is called a “blended sentence.” That means he will continue to be held in juvenile detention until he is 21. He will then serve the rest of his nearly nine years of active time in prison with adults.

His terms were set to run consecutively. Lafferty was given 20 years with all but two years suspended for attempted 1st-degree murder involving a mob, five years with four suspended for attempted unlawful bodily injury, four years for use of a firearm in a felony, five years with four suspended for shooting at an occupied vehicle, six months for reckless handling of a firearm, and five months for possession of a firearm by a person under of age of 18.

The total sentence was 34 years and 11 months. All but eight years and 11 months were suspended. Lafferty has been in detention since December 2022.

The teenager hasn’t given up the names of the others from the shooting and probably never will. Is it fear? Or, devotion? No one has determined why he won’t talk.

He has made strides in rehabilitation. He joined and excelled in the youth cadet law enforcement corps, encouraged others to keep on the straight and narrow, announced he was finished with gang life and fighting, and has made scholarly marks in school.

Lafferty has also been in several fights at the detention center in December 2024 and March 2025, and has been aggressive to staff when they tried to break it up. In one instance, two other boys helped him out during a fight with one of them making a gang sign when it was over.

“He believed that someone in the vehicle was prepared to hurt him,” a third-year law student told the court regarding the crimes. “He was a frightened child,” she said, adding, “Today, he appears as a young man who has genuine accountability … Jamarion has transformed.”

Several detention workers spoke in favor of his being allowed to enter the program as they thought it would help him grow and succeed. They said they had seen improvements. One said he had a moderate risk of reoffending. Another said he said he was very focused on his mother and worried about his siblings, and wanted to better himself for them.