After a February guilty plea to a grand larceny charge, 39-year-old Charles Gibbs Jr. was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in the penitentiary, with 13 years and nine months suspended.
Williamsburg James City County Circuit Court Judge Michael E. McGinty said Gibbs must also pay a restitution of $1,459 to the victim and $10,561 to insurer USAA. He will face 10 years of probation when he is released from the penitentiary.
During the hearing, Gibbs testified that he has been sober for nine months and wants to stay that way. He testified that he has been working as a plumber and maintenance man and has the skills necessary to earn the money to pay the restitution.
The larceny occurred June 25, when Gibbs stole about $15,000 in jewelry from a house he was cleaning with his girlfriend. Most of the items were watches and cuff links. Investigators caught a break in the case when the victim called and said he found one of the watches for sale on eBay.
The item on e-Bay was an 18-karat gold pocket watch. The seller referred investigators to another seller who pointed them toward another seller, who initially bought the watch from Gibbs. Investigators then determined that Gibbs had access to the house the day before the theft.
Gibbs said he had not sold any jewelry, and then said the victim gave him the items to trade for cocaine. After further questioning, he confessed he stole the jewelry while his girlfriend cleaned another room and then sold it at a Newport News pawn shop.
