William Rhodes Griffin III, a 49-year-old satellite TV installer and repairman, of Galax, was sentenced recently in Lunenburg Circuit Court to 12 months in jail with all suspended for attempting to steal medication in a home in Victoria where he was called to service, a release from the Lunenburg County Commonwealth’s Attorney cited. He had served 48 days in jail since his arrest for this charge on Aug. 29, the release cited.

According to Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Clement, the incident occurred on March 14, at Poorhouse Road in Victoria.

The resident, a middle-aged woman, called the Sheriff’s Office and said, “a man was at her house installing equipment for DIRECTV.”

She said when she walked into another room, she heard a jingling sound and looked into the living room and saw the man bent down to the floor going through her bag of medicine bottles. According to the release she did not confront the man but called the police. Investigator Gail Berkley arrived and spoke to him. At first he denied doing so, but when the victim spoke up and said that she saw him do it, he apologized and said he knew he should not have done it.”

The release cited that Griffin was searched, but no pills were found on him.

“He stated that he had a lot of knee pain, and that if he had found any painkillers, he was going to ask her if he could have some,” the release cited. “He apologized again.”

The judge sentenced Griffin to 12 months in jail with all suspended subject to conditions of good behavior for one year, and no contact with the victim, the release cited.