Twin brother of Augusta County sheriff pleads guilty to felony drug charge
Ronald W. Smith, 42, of Churchville, was convicted of possession of a Schedule I or II drug.
On Oct. 15, 2023, Smith was involved in a vehicle crash near Churchville Avenue and Va. 262, according to Staunton Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Matt Falwell.
At the scene, Falwell said Smith began acting erratically and tried to walk away from police. Following a struggle, he was taken down to the ground and restrained. Smith was found to have a glass smoking device and a little less than three grams of methamphetamine, resulting in the felony drug charge.
Prior to being sentenced, he apologized to his brother, Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith, who did not attend the hearing, as well as to other family members.
"I'm very sorry," said Smith, who was in a wheelchair after suffering a fall while previously jailed.
In a joint recommendation, Smith, who was represented by Staunton Public Defender Duane Barron, was sentenced to two years in prison with two years suspended, giving him no time to serve. He was also placed on two years of supervised probation.
Smith, though, is still facing charges in Augusta County for an unrelated incident that took place a little more than two months after his Staunton arrest.
During the late-afternoon hours of Dec. 26, 2023, Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith called his office and requested assistance with getting a stolen vehicle stopped. The vehicle, a semi-truck, was his. The sheriff said his brother was behind the wheel of the 2000 International that had a goose-neck trailer attached, and said he tried stopping the truck near the intersection of Churchville Avenue and Eagle Rock Lane but was unsuccessful.
Authorities chased the semi to Verona, using a tire-deflation devices along the way. The chase ended at Clymore Elementary School, where Ronald Smith allegedly rammed a deputy's vehicle and reportedly attempted to pin a second deputy's vehicle between the semi and trailer.
In May 2024, the Augusta County grand jury indicted Smith on two charges of attempted malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer, along with single felony charges of destruction of property and eluding. He's also facing a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated (first offense), according to court records.
"Smith's life is completely different now, and he spends his time fighting for every little bit of movement he can recover after suffering devastating injuries while he was in jail," Barron said.
Smith has a one-day jury trial set for Sept. 18 in Augusta County Circuit Court. The prosecution of the case is being handled by the Charlottesville Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.
Smith remains free on bond.
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This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Brother of Augusta County sheriff pleads guilty to felony drug charge
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