Petersburg-area gang leader gets 25 years

PETERSBURG -- Gang leader Kalvin B. Kelley was sentenced to 25 years in prison yesterday for conspiring to kill a city police detective and other crimes associated with his control of a Bloods-affiliated gang in the Tri-Cities area.

Given the chance to apologize or offer any explanation for his actions, the 21-year-old Kelley chose to say nothing before Circuit Judge Pamela S. Baskervill pronounced the sentence.

Defense attorney Dennis M. Martin later explained why.

"Kelley is an example of a guy who fully knows and appreciates what he done and the wrongfulness of his conduct, and that's why he didn't say nothing," Martin said. "Basically, what was he going to say? He accepted responsibility for the crimes he committed, he knew what punishment he was facing, and when you do that, what can you say but . . . take it like a man."

The trim-looking New York native will be pushing 50 before he's released.

Noting Kelley's leadership of the G-Shyne gang and plan to kill the detective who arrested him in a series of gang-related robberies in Petersburg, Baskervill sentenced Kelley to 45 years in prison with 20 years suspended on five felony counts.

He pleaded guilty in January to conspiring to commit capital murder of a police officer, threatening death to a police officer by mail, criminal gang participation and two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery. In exchange, prosecutors withdrew 19 other charges, including multiple counts of robbery, abduction and felonious use of a firearm.

Under a plea agreement, Kelley was to receive no more than 25 years in prison.

Martin tried unsuccessfully to postpone yesterday's sentencing so Kelley's mother and other relatives could travel from New York to testify on his behalf, with the goal of reducing his time behind bars.

Martin also wanted to give Kelley more time to provide additional information to police about gang activity in Petersburg. Martin said Kelley had already met with investigators two or three times since his conviction, but the information he provided apparently wasn't useful.

"Without an opportunity to provide some mitigating information to [the judge], there was no way I was going to get her to go below that 25-year mark," Martin said after the hearing.

But Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Cheryl Wilson said authorities had already given Kelley a break by withdrawing nearly 20 charges. She also noted, and the judge agreed, that Martin had nearly two months to prepare after being granted a continuance of Kelley's original sentencing date of April 1.

According to evidence, Kelley, while jailed for several gang-related robberies, sent letters to fellow gang member Davon Bland in April 2008 in a conspiracy to assassinate the Petersburg detective who arrested Kelley.

Tri-Cities authorities learned of the plot last year after arresting seven people in a stolen-firearms case that originated in Dinwiddie County.

That led police to search Bland's home on South Street, where investigators discovered three letters written by Kelley with information referring to the plot. They also found guns, drug scales and gang clothing with the group's colors of red, green and black.

Police learned that Kelley tapped two juvenile-age gang members to kill the detective, promising them $7,000 upfront and $3,000 more after the killing, set for April 29, 2008.

Before his arrest, Kelley, known as "40-cal" on the street, directed several gang members to rob various Petersburg residents in March 2008.

Authorities said Kelley arrived in Virginia two years ago from New York, first settling in Nottoway County and then moving to Hopewell. His mission was to recruit new members for G-Shyne, which at one time had more than 100 local members.

Kelley's 25-year sentence is the stiffest punishment a gang member has received in Petersburg, Wilson said. She also won convictions for three of Kelley's gang associates, all of whom received prison time.

"Hopefully, it will deter people from gang activity in the first place, and those who are involved in it, maybe it will make them think twice about the activities they're involved in," Wilson said.

Contact Mark Bowes at (804) 649-6450 or .