65 year old man given five-year prison term after dominoes game turns violent

By Linda Cicoira

A dominoes game that turned violent in June of 2022 ended Monday with a 65-year-old man being given a five-year prison term.

All but time served was suspended in Northampton Circuit Court for Calvin Cummings Jr., of Cape Charles. He was previously convicted of unlawful wounding and disorderly conduct in connection with the incident, which was described by Commonwealth’s Attorney Jack Thornton as a drunken fight.

Cummings had been playing dominoes with Elton “Bullet” Merritt near the former Heritage Acres apartment complex where he lived. The defendant said something to Merritt’s girlfriend that caused Merritt to come after Cummings.

“Sometime during the scuffle, Cummings pulled a knife,” Thornton said.  Cummings fled but was apprehended moments later. He had blood on his clothes, he smelled of alcohol, and his eyes were bloodshot, according to testimony.

In another case, 33-year-old Daniel Shane Wood, of Exmore, was sentenced to five years in prison with four years suspended for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in January 2023. He was also indicted on counts of being a prisoner and destroying a fire system and more than $1,000 worth of property at the Eastern Shore Regional Jail on Sept. 19, 2023.  That trial is scheduled for February.

Fifty-nine-year-old Gary Lenard Bailey, of James Allen Drive in Machipongo, was convicted of obtaining money by false pretenses in connection with a December 2021 crime. He accepted about $2,380 for damages to his vehicle that occurred before he had insurance with Geico. Sentencing was set for March.