Co-defendants Found Guilty of Stealing Property From Storage Facility in 2023
NORFOLK, Va. — Adam Lars Kuykendall, 42, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to grand larceny, burglary, and petit larceny after he and a co-defendant, 39-year-old Charles Ibe Robinson, stole items from a self-storage facility in 2023. Mr. Robinson was found guilty of grand larceny and petit larceny from this incident following a bench trial last fall.
On Nov. 17, 2023, Mr. Kuykendall rented a storage unit at the facility located off Campostella Road. On Nov. 28, 2023, staff from the facility called Norfolk Police to report that Mr. Kuykendall and Mr. Robinson were there and stealing items from storage units that were not leased to either of them. When police arrived, they saw Mr. Robinson pushing a cart with musical instruments inside that did not belong to him. Mr. Robinson claimed the items were Mr. Kuykendall’s and that the two of them were taking what he claimed to be Mr. Kuykendall’s belongings out of storage and putting them into a nearby moving truck that Mr. Robinson had rented. When officers saw Mr. Kuykendall, Mr. Kuykendall ran away and attempted to hide inside an air-conditioning vent until the officers found him minutes later.
Surveillance footage from the storage facility confirmed the staff’s report that Mr. Kuykendall and Mr. Robinson had been stealing from units leased to other individuals. The items stolen by Mr. Kuykendall and Mr. Robinson included musical instruments, two firearms, ammunition for firearms, and other personal items. Based on their investigation, the police secured charges against both men for several felonies, including grand larceny and burglary, as well as misdemeanors including petit larceny.
In October 2024, Mr. Robinson pleaded not guilty to his charges and requested to be tried by a judge. After hearing the evidence and arguments from the Commonwealth and defense, Judge David W. Lannetti found Mr. Robinson guilty of grand larceny and petit larceny. Mr. Robinson’s sentencing hearing is set for March 28.
On Tuesday, Mr. Kuykendall entered an agreement to plead guilty to grand larceny, burglary, and petit larceny. In exchange for Mr. Kuykendall’s guilty pleas, the Commonwealth agreed to dismiss Mr. Kuykendall’s other related charges and seek an active sentence no longer than two years and nine months in prison, which is within Mr. Kuykendall’s state sentencing guidelines. Judge Joseph C. Lindsey accepted Mr. Kuykendall’s plea agreement and set his sentencing hearing on May 9.
“Mr. Kuykendall and Mr. Robinson were not just stealing property; they were stealing treasured possessions people were saving for the future,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “A crime does not need to be violent to be traumatic. At sentencing we intend to ask for a sentence appropriate to the seriousness of these men’s actions.”
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Anthony J. Balady is prosecuting Mr. Kuykendall’s and Mr. Robinson’s cases, and Norfolk Police Detective John A. Schraft Jr. led the investigation.
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