Onley man convicted of felony fraud; two others sentenced in Accomack Court

By Linda Cicoira

An Onley man was convicted of felony construction fraud Thursday in Accomack Circuit Court after failing to pay restitution that would have reduced the charge to a misdemeanor.

At a previous trial, 54-year-old James Winston Scott, of Pennsylvania Avenue, admitted that he failed to complete work for Mary Jean Jester, of Chincoteague, despite accepting money from her between June 2023 and February 2024. In a plea bargain, he agreed to pay $3,500 in restitution in exchange for a misdemeanor conviction. He had been given extensions to repay the money and paid $1,040 of it on Thursday.

Evidence showed the money was for an HVAC system. Scott said he had the unit and would turn it into the Chincoteague Police Department, but he never did.

A presentence report was ordered. Scott was remanded to jail to await sentencing on April 30.

In another case, 43-year-old Raymond Michael Long II, of Occohannock Neck Road in Exmore, pleaded no contest to unlawful wounding of a 16-year-old, who fought with him about his alcohol abuse on March 11, 2025. Long was initially charged with the more serious offense of malicious wounding.

In addition to the reduced charge, a plea bargain called for a count of abuse and neglect of a child to be dropped. Judgment was deferred on the wounding charge for a year. If he remains on good behavior during that time, that charge would be lowered to misdemeanor of assault and battery.

Thirty-two-year-old Brittany Michelle Stacy, of Pinwheel Lane in Clemmons, N.C., was sentenced to three years in prison for possession of methamphetamine in May of 2025. All but the approximately three months she had already served were suspended.