If it wasn’t for bad luck

By Linda Cicoira

A Virginia Beach man was pulled over for allegedly going 72 mph in a 55-mile-per-hour zone in Northampton in February of 2024.

A local police officer called in about 48-year-old Frank Joseph Newman Jr. and was told that the defendant was wanted by authorities across the Chesapeake Bay, according to evidence presented Monday in Northampton Circuit Court.

Newman, who lives on Pennsylvania Avenue, was traveling back from Delaware and visited his brother-in-law on the Eastern Shore around the time of the traffic stop. Since he was detained, the contents of his car were inventoried.

A total of 743 grams of a leafy material was found in his trunk. That substance was sent to be analyzed and was found to be about 1.6 pounds of marijuana.

It was agreed that Newman was cooperative. But when his trial came up earlier this month, he was late for court and was then charged with failure to appear.

Monday, Newman pleaded guilty to felony possession of marijuana and pleaded no contest to failure to appear. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with all but the time served suspended. The defendant will be on supervised probation for two years and good behavior for five years.

The marijuana that was seized will be disposed of by the state, Commonwealth’s Attorney Jack Thornton announced.

Then, 48-year-old Randy Gilchrist of Brockton Street, in Boston, Massachusetts, didn’t show up for his trial. He is accused of uttering a summons knowing it to be forged on July 6, 2020. He was arrested on May 21, 2025. His lawyer said the Super Bowl results from the previous night were likely the reason he was not available. A capias for his arrest was ordered.

Thirty-two-year-old Erick Emanuel Ferguson, of Fredrick Douglas Road in Exmore, was ready for a bench trial on charges of strangulation and a third or subsequent offense of assault and battery of a family member that was alleged to have occurred on Sept. 2, 2025.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Vincent deLalla wanted to continue the case for two or three weeks because a witness was unable to attend due to a doctor’s appointment. His request was eventually granted, and March 16 was set as the new trial date.

Defense lawyer Andre Wiggins objected to the delay and requested that an unsecured bond be set for his client.

Bond was denied after DeLalla said he was opposed. He cited the nature of the allegations and the defendant’s prior record.