Man Sentenced to 3 Years After Pleading Guilty to Burglarizing 2 Norfolk Chinese Restaurants

NORFOLK, Va.  — Brandon Lee Odoms, 36, was sentenced on Friday, April 11, to serve three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and one count of possessing burglarious tools for breaking into two Chinese restaurants last year.

After midnight on March 29, 2024, Mr. Odoms burglarized the China Town restaurant on East Berkley Avenue by breaking the glass front door with a hammer and kicking down a wood barrier that was inside the door. Once inside, Mr. Odoms forced open the register and ransacked the reception and kitchen areas before leaving out the back door. Surveillance video inside the restaurant recorded Mr. Odoms committing the burglary.

Between the night of April 1 and early morning of April 2, 2024, Mr. Odoms broke into the Golden City restaurant on Monticello Avenue through the front door while the business was closed. Surveillance video again captured Mr. Odoms committing the burglary.

On April 9, 2024, Mr. Odoms was arrested — wearing the same clothes as seen on surveillance footage from the Norfolk burglaries — in a neighboring city in connection with another burglary. Norfolk Police were notified of Mr. Odoms’ arrest and transported Mr. Odoms to Norfolk for questioning. After they read Mr. Odoms his Miranda rights, Mr. Odoms gave investigators a full confession to the Norfolk restaurant burglaries.

On Sept. 16, Mr. Odoms agreed to plead guilty to two counts of burglary as well as one count of possessing burglarious tools and be sentenced to serve no more than the midpoint of his state sentencing guidelines, which recommended three years and 11 months in prison. In exchange for his guilty pleas, the Commonwealth agreed to no longer pursue additional burglary-related charges against Mr. Odoms. Judge Jamilah D. LeCruise accepted Mr. Odoms’ plea agreement and found him guilty of the three charges.

On April 11, having heard arguments from the Commonwealth and the defense, Judge LeCruise sentenced Mr. Odoms to serve three years in prison and suspended another three years on the conditions that Mr. Odoms complete three years of supervised probation and uniform good behavior, pay restitution to the victims, and have no contact with the victims following his release.

“Mr. Odoms broke into two restaurants that provide affordable meals in underserved communities and are family-owned businesses that operate on narrow margins,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. Odoms committed real crimes with real victims, and he will now serve a sentence consistent with his actions.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney A. Robinson Winn prosecuted Mr. Odoms’ case, and Norfolk Police Detective John A. Schraft Jr. led the investigation.

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Sept. 17, 2024

Man Pleads Guilty to Burglarizing 2 Norfolk Chinese Restaurants

NORFOLK, Va.  — Brandon Lee Odoms, 36, pleaded guilty on Monday to two counts of burglary and one count of possessing burglarious tools for breaking into two Chinese restaurants earlier this year.

After midnight on March 29, Mr. Odoms burglarized the China Town restaurant on East Berkley Avenue by breaking the glass front door with a hammer and kicking down a wood barrier that was inside the door. Once inside, Mr. Odoms forced open the register and ransacked the reception and kitchen areas before leaving out the back door. Surveillance video inside the restaurant recorded Mr. Odoms committing the burglary.

On the night of April 1 or the early morning of April 2, Mr. Odoms broke into the Golden City restaurant on Monticello Avenue through the front door while the business was closed. Surveillance video again captured Mr. Odoms committing the burglary.

On April 9, Mr. Odoms was arrested — wearing the same clothes as seen on surveillance footage from the Norfolk burglaries — in a neighboring city in connection with another burglary. Norfolk Police were notified of Mr. Odoms’ arrest and transported Mr. Odoms to Norfolk for questioning. After they read Mr. Odoms his Miranda rights, Mr. Odoms gave investigators a full confession to the Norfolk restaurant burglaries.

Mr. Odoms agreed on Monday to plead guilty to two counts of burglary as well as one count of possessing burglarious tools and be sentenced to an active term in prison of no more than the midpoint of his state sentencing guidelines. The Commonwealth agreed to no longer pursue additional burglary-related charges against Mr. Odoms. Judge Jamilah D. LeCruise accepted Mr. Odoms’ plea agreement, found him guilty of the three charges, and set his sentencing hearing on Jan. 10, 2025.

In August,Mr. Odoms also pleaded guilty to burglary he had committed on March 25 in Virginia Beach and was sentenced there to an active term of 60 days in jail.

“Norfolk’s small-business owners serve our community and work hard to support their families. Mr. Odoms victimized two local businesses just in Norfolk,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “At sentencing we will seek to hold Mr. Odoms accountable, to protect the community from his actions, and to try to address the root cause of why Mr. Odoms is committing these crimes so that Mr. Odoms acquires the skills necessary to rejoin the community in the right way.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney A. Robinson Winn is prosecuting Mr. Odoms’ case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Norfolk Police Detective John A. Schraft Jr. led the investigation.

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