Virginia Tech students accused of stealing and damaging a Montgomery County school bus pleaded out to lesser charges Monday.
Civil engineering major Alexander J. Telkowski and engineering science and mechanics major Aleksander V. Andreyev were arrested in October after police said they took a school bus from Gilbert Linkous Elementary School and drove it around the Tech campus before returning it “heavily damaged.”
After Monday’s hearing, neither will serve jail time.
They were each originally charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, felony destruction of property, grand larceny of a church sign, trespassing upon school property, underage possession of alcohol and public intoxication.
The three felony charges against each were amended to misdemeanors, and both men were sentenced to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty. However, their sentences were suspended. Each was ordered to pay $300 in fines.
Both were placed on probation for a year and ordered not to return to Gilbert Linkous Elementary.
Other charges, of public intoxication and trespassing, were dropped in December.
A version of this article appeared in the Mar 3 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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Honestly? Is this a joke? They are ordered by a court to pay $300 in fines and are on probation for three FELONY charges? I have lost faith in our justice system.
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The felony charges were dropped. Good thing these kids had mom and dad to help them out...Single parent kids couldn't have afforded the great defense team. They'd be on death row right now.
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You guys need to stop listening to the media. 300 dollars fine, 600 for lowering to misdemeanors, 200 for processing, 500 for bail, 7500 for lawyer, 300 for bus damage, 200 for sign, 5000 for lost tuition, 3 bad misdemeanors on my record for life time, and suspended from Tech for a year. So yeah, I am pretty sure it was not just 300 dollars and everything is back to normal. All for one awful mistake.
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Waa waa waa. I know the guys. They went through a LOT. Oh, and I'm sorry the CT sucks at reporting. Like Aleks said, they paid a lot more than $300. Get over yourself.
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They should be dragged behind the bus.
It is absurd that paying a fine and walking away is OK these days?
You run over my kid with your stolen bus and you won't see the light of day-ever. Students - get real! This a community and you have to play by OUR rules. Respect our town, our homes, our schools, our property.
I mean, we're all happy to ride out to where your families live and trash their homes once or twice. It's cool with us.
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Please do not extrapolate a small sample and have it represent the entire student population. A FRACTION...A SMALL MINORITY of students are disruptive in the town. The MAJORITY of students are respectful, mature, and are a benefit to the town. Don't say, "students, get real." Say, two immature 21 year olds, get real.
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Al Jolson - you are an idiot.
And as a gay person...you need to shut your mouth.
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Was it stupid? Yes. Knowing no one was seriously hurt...was it even more hilarious? 100% Yes.
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This is great! What fun! Rest of you guys need to calm down; its just some bus, no big deal. A little mishap like this should not ruin these students' live. Kudos to the presiding judge! My faith in the justice system is beginning to regain strength if anything.
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I feel jail time would be too harsh. But what I do find outrageous is that they are not paying for repairing the bus. Also, how is it they still have their licenses if apparently these kids were DRUNK DRIVING A SCHOOL BUS. I feel they should pay back to the community as well, performing a certain amount of service hours.
$300 of mom and dad's allowance money isn't fair.
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The sentence seems rather light. Should they not at least be required to pay fines equivalent to the monetary amount required to repair the "heavily damaged" school bus? Paying $300 and getting a year of probation is the sentence most students receive for a harmless "crime" like underage possession alone.
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$300?! THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS! IT SHOULD'VE BEEN $45 MAX!
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I know those guys! I was shocked to hear what they did when they told me, but I'm glad that they're not doing time. Believe it or not their really nice guys. We all make mistakes. Some...bigger than others of course.
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I happen to know the accident personally and one of the people involved. The event was anything beyond stupidity. No one was hurt and to top that the bus was not heavily damaged. The idea that you would rather see two extremly bright college students have their lives ruined over college stupidity/ humor that everyone experiences at some point is just distatseful on your part.
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