Watermen plead guilty to illegally obtaining money

By Linda Cicoira

Four watermen, including an 85-year-old who said he had never been in trouble before, pleaded guilty in Accomack Circuit Court Thursday obtaining unemployment compensation while they were harvesting from local waters. The felony charges were reduced to misdemeanors.

Mark Miles, the older man, of Saxis Road in Saxis, admitted to committing the crime between May 24, 2020, and May 24, 2021. Miles collected 62 weeks of unemployment and sold harvests for 11 of those weeks. He made restitution of $6,238. He was given a 12-month suspended sentence with the condition that he be on good behavior for a year.

Curtis Miles Jr., of Wayne’s Drive in Saxis, pleaded guilty to obtaining money by false pretenses between Nov. 15, 2020, and May 27, 2021. He paid back $5,208 in restitution and was also given the 12-month suspended jail term.

Sixty-eight-year-old Bradley Knight, of County Road in Parksley, admitting to the crime that occurred between May 24, 2020, and Sept. 23, 2020. He was ordered to pay back more than $2,600. Knight provided $1,200 of the money. He was given a year to pay the rest. Judgment was withheld pending the full restitution payment.

Larry Linton, of Saxis Road in Saxis, pleaded guilty to obtaining $7,234 by false pretenses between Aug. 10, 2020 and Feb. 23, 2021. Judgment was deferred pending full restitution. He was told he must pay at least $200 a month and was given a year to pay it in full before the charge would be reduced to a misdemeanor.

Bridget Ambrosio, of the Virginia Attorney’s General Office in Richmond, prosecuted the cases.