Lucas Brandon South, 38, admitted guilt to grand larceny on June 5 after stealing and scrapping window security screens intended for homes in the Oakleaf Forest community. The thefts occurred while Mr. South was a subcontractor for the company that purchased the screens.
On December 13, a supervisor from this company reported that 88 screens, each valued at $250, were missing from their job site in Oakleaf Forest. Investigating further, the supervisor visited a local junkyard where some of the stolen screens were found. A junkyard employee provided a description of the person selling them over several months, leading to Mr. South’s identification and subsequent confession.
Mr. South has agreed to plead guilty to felony grand larceny and will face sentencing according to state guidelines calculated by probation services before his hearing on August 1. Judge Jennifer L. Fuschetti accepted the plea agreement.
“Mr. South did not just steal from his employer or from the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority,” stated Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “He stole from low-income residents in public housing who deserve both to feel fresh air and to be able to do so free of concern about someone coming into their homes.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Bailey C. Ottinger with Norfolk Police Detective Joseph J. Caruso leading the investigation.
