Accomac man sentenced to 15 years for strangling girlfriend

By Linda Cicoira

A 28-year-old man was sentenced Thursday in Accomack Circuit Court to 15 years in prison for strangling his girlfriend and holding her against her will for days in March 2024.

All but two years and 11 months of the term were suspended for Irvin Roblero-Ortiz, of Cooper Lane, in Accomac. Upon release, he will be on two years of supervised probation and five years of good behavior.

Speaking through a Spanish interpreter, the defendant said the couple had argued.

“I am a human being,” Roblero-Ortiz said. “We all make mistakes. I want to apologize … I never wanted to cause any trouble … I feel very upset. I never thought I would be before a judge … I am not a violent person … I have been here for seven years. I came here for work. I work very hard.”

The victim told authorities the defendant wouldn’t let her leave a bedroom, made her ask to go to the bathroom, and wouldn’t let her change out of pajamas to keep her from leaving. She said she was punched, her hair was pulled, he broke her cell phone when he used it to hit her on the head, and she was strangled until she passed out.

In a plea agreement with Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney William Fox, charges of property destruction and assault and battery of a family member were not prosecuted in exchange for the guilty pleas to the other charges.

In another case, a bond appeal for 42-year-old Willie Matthew Taylor of Onancock was withdrawn by defense lawyer Happy O’Brien. Taylor is being held in the Accomack County Jail on felony counts of possession of a Schedule I or II drug, possession of a firearm while in possession of a Schedule I or II drug, and possession of a Schedule III drug. Taylor has also been accused of misdemeanor counts of carrying a concealed weapon, stalking, reckless handling of a firearm, brandishing a gun, and shooting across a road. He was escorted back to jail. Northampton Commonwealth’s Attorney Jack Thornton is handling the case.

Thirty-nine-year-old Bryant Montez Walker of Melfa was sentenced to 10 years with all but a year suspended for selling cocaine on June 20, 2023. Upon release, he will be on two years of supervised probation and five years of good behavior.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Spencer Morgan said evidence showed a confidential police informant bought the drug from Walker three times. Two other charges of cocaine distribution were not prosecuted in exchange for a guilty plea to the first charge.

Walker said he and the informant had known each other since they were teenagers. He claimed it was a case of accommodation for a guy he thought was a friend and that he sold the drug without profit.

Fifty-six-year-old Gerard Williams, of Chester Street. In Mappsville, was sentenced to the eight days he already served for ammunition possession by a felon on Jan. 24, 2024. He will be on supervised probation for a year and good behavior for five years.

     Fifty-one-year-old Keith Aaron Grinage, of Greta Road in Atlantic, was sentenced to five years in prison with all but 90 days suspended for a third offense of DWI that occurred on May 23, 2024. Grinage told a magistrate he was on his way to work and didn’t see the parked car he allegedly struck. he was ordered to be on supervised probation for two years and good behavior for five years and is prohibited from drinking alcohol. He was allowed to report to jail on April 26 to arrange for care for his mother. After 45 days, he will serve his time on weekends so he may keep his job at Tyson Foods.