Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 16, 1995 TAG: 9506160049
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SARAH HUNTLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Roanoke County Circuit Judge Roy B. Willett ordered Loretta Lynn Jessee to serve eight years and six months in prison for a series of offenses that included a two-day bank robbery spree this winter.
Jessee, who told police she committed her crimes to support drug and alcohol addictions, pleaded guilty in April to two counts of robbery and five other felonies related to forging and passing bad checks.
She was captured Feb. 1, the day she committed her second robbery. She had left Southwest Virginia Savings Bank with more than $2,000 after handing the teller a threatening note. But the bank had planted a packet of red dye in the bag of money.
Jessee was arrested in the parking lot of a nearby apartment complex after the dye packet exploded, spewing ink over most of her body.
Jessee also was sentenced at Thursday's joint hearing for a Roanoke grand larceny conviction. According to Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Ann Gardner, Jessee had pleaded guilty to stealing three guns and other valuables from an acquaintance on Christmas Eve and was out on bond when she committed the bank robberies in the county.
"She committed crime after crime while she was out on bond," Gardner said.
Prosecutors in the county, Roanoke and Salem said they can't recall any sentencings before Jessee's that involved violent, serious crimes as defined by the tougher 1995 standards. Under the strict guidelines, which went into effect Jan. 1, Jessee faced the possibility of two life terms plus 50 years without parole for the county charges alone.
But Jessee's defense attorneys, Mac Chambers and Assistant Public Defender Roger Dalton, asked the court to consider their client's addictions and her desire to receive treatment. They put Jessee on the stand, where she pleaded for a second chance.
"I'd like to apologize to the court, my family and the ladies at the bank for the things I have done," Jessee said, crying as she spoke. "I didn't realize the seriousness of my drug and alcohol addictions until all this took place, and I didn't realize the support system I had in my family until I admitted to my addictions and my wrongs."
Several of Jessee's family members testified that they would support her efforts to seek rehabilitation.
"Until recently, my daughter has never seen me sober," Jessee told the judge. "I'd like very much for her to be able to spend time with her mother when she's not on drugs."
Chambers, who said Jessee's daughter is 7, pointed out that his client had tried to seek treatment last year, but was turned away because all available recovery programs were full. He and Dalton asked the court to allow Jessee to serve at least some of her time at Bethany Hall.
Bethany Hall is a nonsecure treatment facility for women who are working to overcome drug and alcohol dependency.
"The state's not playing anymore, certainly when it comes to crimes involving violence or threats of crimes involving violence. ... but Ms. Jessee is not looking for a get-out-of-jail-free card," Dalton said, explaining that Bethany Hall offers a rigorous treatment program.
"There have been women at Bethany Hall who have asked to be returned to jail instead of continuing with their program," he said. "This is not as much a break as Ms. Jessee may think it is."
Willett, however, agreed with prosecutors who argued that Jessee should be held responsible for the fear she inflicted upon others. He denied requests that Jessee be allowed to attend Bethany Hall, but ordered her to receive treatment in prison.
"I've wrestled with this a good bit, because the Roanoke city charge is parole-eligible, but the others aren't," Willett said. "I have to take into account, though, that you created victims and put people in fear. ... This community is not going to countenance robbery. Violent crime will not be accepted under any circumstances."
Willett's sentence was lower than the 16-year total that prosecutors requested, but county Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Mark Claytor pointed out that under the new guidelines, Jessee will have to serve at least 85 percent of her sentence.
"She'll be put away for quite some time," he said.
by CNB