A Newport News woman was sentenced to 12 months in jail with all but four days suspended for stealing $1,000 from a woman’s purse at the Buffalo Wild Wings in New Town.
Belinda Stuart, 37, was arrested and charged with grand larceny in March after surveillance video from the restaurant showed Stuart, an employee at the time, taking a purse and removing items from it.
The victim reported that about $1,000 in cash and some jewelry had been taken, though she later found the jewelry in her home.
Stuart pleaded guilty to one charge of grand larceny in Williamsburg-James City County Circuit Court in August, though her attorney Leslie Siman-Tov argued the amount of cash taken was closer to $500.
Judge Michael McGinty accepted Stuart’s guilty plea but withheld his finding in the case until the sentencing, which took place Tuesday. McGinty reduced the charge against her to misdemeanor larceny.
Stuart was sentenced to 12 months in jail with 11 months and 26 days suspended. She will be allowed to serve the four remaining days over two consecutive weekends.
Once she has completed her sentence, Stuart will remain on supervised probation for five years and will be responsible for paying back $1,000 in restitution to the victim.
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