Man guilty of plot to kill detective

By Mark Bowes

Published: January 14, 2009

PETERSBURG -- A Petersburg gang leader was convicted yesterday of conspiring to kill a city police detective who had arrested him last year in a series of gang-related robberies in the city.

Kalvin B. Kelley, 22, pleaded guilty to conspiracy 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 made public yesterday, Kelley will receive no more than 25 years in prison when he is sentenced April 1.

During a summary of evidence in Petersburg Circuit Court, Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Cheryl Wilson described Kelley as the "five-star general" of a gang he led in the Tri-cities area known as G Shyne (also spelled G-Shine), a subset of the nationally known Bloods in New York.

He arrived here two years ago from New York, first settling in Nottoway County and then moving to Hopewell in February. He sometimes stayed in hotels in Petersburg or with other gang members in the city.

"His mission was basically to recruit new members for this particular gang," which at one time had more than 100 local members, Wilson said.

"When he came down here, he was already a member of the gang in New York," Wilson explained. "So once he came here, instead of rising through the ranks as anyone else would have to do, he was made a five-star general because he had some status and ranking in another gang."

Investigators began to piece together information about Kelley and G Shyne after authorities began arresting some of its gang members in a series of street robberies last year in the city. Kelley would often supervise the stickups, telling gang members who and where to strike, Wilson said.

After he was arrested March 26 in connection with the holdups, Kelley developed a plan to get out of jail, and part of that plan involved killing the Petersburg police detective who arrested him, Wilson said. This was "to make sure there were no witnesses that would be able to come to court to testify against him."

Wilson said Kelley issued orders by letter or verbally during jail visits by fellow gang members, directing them on how and when to carry out the killing, set for April 29.

"The letters immediately started as soon as he got arrested," Wilson said.

He tapped two juvenile-age gang members to kill the detective, promising them $7,000 up front and $3,000 more after the deed, Wilson said.

"He was sending orders on what day it was supposed to take place, who the persons were that were supposed to commit it, how they were supposed to get there and the guns they were supposed to use," Wilson said.

As the investigation proceeded, police searched another gang member's home on South Street in early May and discovered three letters written by Kelley with information that referenced the plot, along with two shotguns, drug scales and gang paraphernalia such as clothing and other items with the gang's colors of red, green and black.

Along with Kelley, police arrested five other ranking gang members, who will be tried in coming in months. Kelley was the leader of Tri-cities branch of G Shyne, but he received orders from a superior in New York, police said.

In organizing the gang, Kelley, known as "40-cal" on the street, set up a revenue system whereby each member had to donate a portion of his crime proceeds to a fund to pay bills, buy drugs or bail people out of jail. "Everybody's got to put money in the pot," Wilson said.

With the arrests of Kelley and five of his top officers, Wilson and Petersburg Commonwealth's Attorney Cassandra Burns said they believe authorities have slowed the gang -- but not eliminated it.

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