ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, Va. — An elected official in Isle of Wight County is facing consequences for her role in a campaign sign controversy stemming from October.
A judge, who said she does not live in the county, heard from both sides of the case surrounding Renee Rountree in General District Court on Thursday afternoon.
Rountree is the Isle of Wight County supervisor-elect for District 1 charged with receiving stolen goods.
In October, Smithfield police investigated reports of missing signs belonging to Chris Torre, who ran a write-in campaign at the time against Rountree. She ended up winning the race in November.
In the courtroom, Torre testified some of his advocates — without him knowing — placed an AirTag in one of his signs after they noticed some had disappeared.
A Smithfield police lieutenant said he traced the Apple device and found two campaign signs at the home Rountree lives. The lieutenant noted he was shown around the property by Rountree's husband and with his permission.
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Both the prosecution and defense on Thursday acknowledged Rountree's son-in-law Jesse Hanson stole the signs.
Rountree testified she found them in Hanson's truck and put them away in a crawlspace in her garage.
She described herself as a fixer, recalled scolding Hanson and said she planned to put them in the back wall of the county treasurer's office.
Rountree cited personal and business reasons for not going there the day or day after she found out about the stolen signs. It was the day after, when the police lieutenant responded to the Rountree home.
Contradictory of Rountree's recollection in court, Hanson testified he showed Rountree the campaign signs from his truck. He then said she placed them in the garage.
After hearing each lawyers' arguments, the judge said at the crux of this case was "dishonest intent," because Rountree chose to hide the signs in the crawlspace. The judge mentioned Rountree could have placed Torre's signs in a visible place outside her home or in her car.
The judge's thoughts hinted at a guilty verdict; however, she is giving Rountree the opportunity for this whole situation not to end in a criminal conviction.
Firstly, Rountree has to complete 250 hours of community service. She was also ordered to pay court costs.
There is no official ruling in the case just yet, as the judge will take it under advisement until December 2024 when the next hearing is scheduled.
Rountree did not offer a comment to 13News Now outside the courthouse, nor did Hanson.
Prosecutors amended his charge from larceny to trespassing in the Town of Smithfield, which he pleaded guilty to on Thursday.
Hanson's fine of $2,500 was suspended on the condition of good behavior for a year and 100 hours of community service.