
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 31, 1995                   TAG: 9505310076
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RON BROWN
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

NO NEW JAIL TIME IN FEUD CASE

The last of the seven people convicted in a Botetourt County mob violence case was sentenced on Tuesday to the six months he had already served in jail.

Robbie Smith, 20, was convicted of grand larceny, felony vandalism and trespassing in connection with the ransacking of a Blue Ridge residence in September. He was jailed from Sept. 18 to March 21 while awaiting trial.

Botetourt County Circuit Judge George E. Honts III ordered no additional jail time.

Smith and six associates were involved in a feud in which a man was beaten, jewelry and other items were stolen and items throughout the residence were broken.

Prosecutors estimated the total damage, including beating victim Danny Gusler's unpaid medical bills, at $16,000. The stiffest penalty was a six-year prison term given to Chris Clark. The others got sentences of less than six months in jail.

A teen-age boy beat Gusler after awakening him. Gusler suffered a broken arm, two broken ribs and a concussion in the attack.

The feud started over a pair of sunglasses taken from Michael Rosenhauer, whose parents own the Blue Ridge house. Smith and some friends confronted Rosenhauer on several occasions on Williamson Road after he accused them of taking the sunglasses.

After two weeks of near-altercations, the group came to Rosenhauer's house on the pretense of talking out the problem. After reaching a peace agreement, the group started vandalizing the house. Police were called.

The group returned the next night, slammed open the front door and trashed the house while Gusler was beaten.

by CNB