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Clown robber gets eight years
Clown robber gets 8 years in prison
Date published: 8/19/2008
BY KEITH EPPS
A man who dressed up like a clown to rob the CVS in Fredericksburg last year was ordered yesterday to serve eight years in prison.
Ricky Kaiser, 23, of Bumpass, went into the pharmacy near Mary Washington Hospital on May 20, 2007, dressed in a top hat, fake hair and clown makeup, prosecutor Darren Marting said.
After handing the clerk a threatening note, he left the store with 2,500 pills with a street value of about $40,000 Marting said.
Kaiser initially took his case to a jury, but he didn't show up for the second day of the trial.
He was arrested later that day at Potomac Hospital, where he'd gone to receive treatment for injuries received in a reported vehicle accident.
By the next week, Kaiser changed his mind about a jury trial and pleaded guilty to five charges in Fredericksburg Circuit Court--robbery, burglary, grand larceny and two counts of possessing prescription drugs with the intent to distribute.
Kaiser and other witnesses called by defense attorney Tara-Beth Coleman yesterday blamed much of Kaiser's trouble on a doctor.
Coleman had seven people in court, including Kaiser, who claimed they'd become addicted to painkillers because the doctor routinely wrote unneeded prescriptions in exchange for under-the-table payoffs.
Coleman said the doctor is being investigated by the FBI; he apparently has not yet been charged with any criminal offenses.
Kaiser said he began seeing the doctor when he was 17 and got increasingly stronger medications.
He said the doctor cut him off about two weeks before the CVS robbery because he was coming too often and arousing suspicions.
Kaiser told Judge Joseph E. Spruill Jr. that once he made it through the withdrawal phase while in jail, his mind cleared up.
"It's hard for me to believe I actually did this," Kaiser said. "I had a very bad drug problem for a very long time. I'm really ashamed of what I did."
Spruill said he was "impressed" with Kaiser but said he still had to be punished for his actions. Spruill's sentence was at the low end of the state sentencing guidelines.
Kaiser's previous criminal record consists of mostly driving offenses, including five driving suspended convictions.
Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
Email: kepps@freelancestar.com
Read more stories about Fredericksburg
Date published: 8/19/2008
Most recent reader comments:
Courts are NOT moving slowly
(posted by
2LongInStafford
, Aug. 19, 2008 4:20 pm)
Mr Zorro said "notice when this case happened - last year. just goes to show how slow the courts move. " Yes, the robbery happened last year, but you have no idea when the defendant was arrested, charged and arraigned to stand trial, so your comment on the courts moving slow has no basis in fact.
This State doesn't have room for muderers, we're too busy putting pot smokers asnd shoplifters in jail for maximum terms, Murderers get off with little or no punishment after the plea bargain the charges down to misdemeanor assault and tell us Mr Zhang died when he tripped on the killers foot.
Not in this Jurisdiction
(posted by
Talisman
, Aug. 19, 2008 3:58 pm)
The murderers of Mr. Zhang may face justice of some kind in a year or so but it won't be in this area. Our attorneys determined he was killed elsewhere so murder charges will not be filed here. It will end up with the 2 claiming self defense because the young man fought during the robbery and the Murder will be reduced to manslaughter and the public will be lucky to get these 2 off the street for 5 years.
notice when this case happened - last year. just goes to show how slow the courts move. but i'm sure those murderers will get justice. next year sometime.
It's still wrong..
(posted by
Mooseman
, Aug. 19, 2008 8:24 am)
There is no excuse for it..The dr didn't force him to take anything. If the dr in fact is arrested and found guilty, then he needs to be punished. But robbery is wrong for any reason. If someone is unemployed and has kids with no food, does it make it right to go rob the grocery store? I hope the clown enjoys prison!
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