Robber receives 23-year sentence for crime spree

By Kristin Davis

VIRGINIA BEACH

The father of a 22-year-old going to prison for two decades for robbing at least four people of cash, cellphones and pocket change in January 2011 described his son as a gentle person who'd gone to church, played ball and knew the value of an education.

But Edward Turner had begun to notice a change in September 2010, he testified Wednesday at his son's sentencing hearing in Circuit Court. A month later, Matthew Allen Turner was convicted of credit card fraud. Then on Jan. 21, police arrested Matthew Turner and three others in connection with a string of armed robberies over a 15-day period.

Matthew Turner pleaded guilty in September to five counts of robbery, four counts of using a firearm in a felony, two counts of conspiracy and one count each of attempted robbery and wearing a mask in public. He faced a mandatory 18 years on the gun charges alone.

Friends and relatives testified Matthew Turner had fallen in with the wrong crowd.

"He does have a lot going for him," defense attorney Gregory Turpin said. "He still is a young man. He still has the ability to put this behind him at some point."

Matthew Turner apologized for his crimes.

Prosecutor Vivian Henderson noted a courtroom filled with more than a dozen people who'd come to support Matthew Turner, including a pastor.

"This courtroom is filled with mentors," she said. "This defendant had options."

Henderson described the robbery spree as a "reign of terror on the citizens of Virginia Beach."

She read from a statement in which one of Turner's victims described nightmares, panic attacks and crying spells after Turner walked into her workplace, pulled out a gun and demanded money.

Judge William R. O'Brien sentenced Turner to 23 years in prison. It was the stiffest sentence of all the co-defendants; the others are serving four- to 16-year terms for their roles.