Man gets five years for eluding police

By Linda Cicoira

An Accomack County man, who drove at speeds up to 100 mph during a police chase through the Onancock, Greenbush, Cashville, and Mt. Nebo areas in 2020, told authorities he wanted to do his “time without tapdancing around.”

So on Thursday, Judge W. Revell Lewis III, of Accomack Circuit Court, gave him what he deemed appropriate, the maximum penalty which exceeded guidelines. Lewis sentenced 43-year-old Maurice Tirrell Williams, of Parksley, to five years in prison, with no time suspended and no probation afterwards. A jury convicted him of felony eluding earlier this year.

According to testimony, Williams has end-stage kidney failure and has to have dialysis. His insurance coverage was not available when he was in jail. Due to the expense to the county, he was allowed to be free with a GPS monitor. He violated the terms when he tested positive for cocaine and THC and when he traveled beyond his permitted areas. His lawyer explained that he was allowed to go to work and for some reason that location wasn’t part of the monitoring. He also went beyond his area to visit his son in Salisbury.

“I’m just thinking how more aggravating could this be” with “people walking, ride bikes” along his path, Lewis said.