2 Virginia Beach men admit to causing significant damage to hotel
Two Virginia Beach men who admitted to causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage to a beachfront hotel that was being renovated received suspended sentences Tuesday and were ordered to pay for some of the destruction.
Bradley Marconi Meyers, 20, and Tyler John Hines, 21, each pleaded guilty to one count of destruction of property for the damage caused in February 2021 at the Delta Hotels by Marriott on Shore Drive in Virginia Beach.
The crime is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $2,500 fine. In exchange for their pleas, prosecutors agreed to dismiss theft and conspiracy charges.
State sentencing guidelines, which recommend a punishment range based on a defendant’s background and the circumstances of their crimes, suggested they get probation.
Circuit Court Judge Tanya Bullock gave both men a suspended three-year sentence and ordered them to pay $5,000 in restitution to the hotel, which was part of the deal the men reached with prosecutors.
While Bullock said Meyers and Hines must remain on probation until the money is paid, Meyers’ attorney, Andrew Sacks, told the judge his client was prepared to pay the full amount as soon as the hearing was over. Hines worked out a payment plan in which he will pay $200 a month until his debt is paid.
According to a statement of facts entered into evidence, Meyers, Hines and a juvenile broke into the hotel sometime between 9 p.m. and midnight Feb. 5, 2021. The hotel was being renovated and no one was in the building.
The three could be seen on surveillance footage as they destroyed TV screens, walls, carpets and windows, the statement said. The most significant destruction was to an electronic control panel, which cost more than $20,000 to repair, according to the statement. Numerous tools and kitchen supplies also were taken.
The hotel publicized photos of the three captured by its security cameras the next day and multiple people came forward to identify them, the statement said. One witness said Meyers had admitted to his role and turned over the tools he’d taken. More tools were recovered during a search of Hines’ home.
Police initially reported the damage to the hotel was estimated to be in excess of $100,000. They also said Meyers was a suspect in a vandalism incident a couple weeks earlier at the Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront hotel on Atlantic Avenue. About $10,000 in damage was reported in that incident.
Macie Allen, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, said the charges against Meyers related to the Wyndham incident were withdrawn due to insufficient evidence.
Allen said some of the damage amount in the Delta hotel case was reduced by the recovery of the tools and other equipment. The hotel also recovered some monetary damages through civil litigation, but Allen said she didn’t know what that amount was.
Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com
