Potato-chip dispute leads to 8-year prison term

An argument over an empty can of Pringles potato chips ended with a shotgun blast, two people injured and an eight-year prison term for the shooter.

Chazaray Danilo Moseley, 20, who has a past conviction for participating in a criminal street gang, was sentenced yesterday after he pleaded guilty to charges in last year's shooting in South Richmond. A teenager and his mother suffered minor injuries in the incident.

The shooting stemmed from an earlier disagreement over the can of Pringles. That disagreement was between Moseley's cousin and another teenager on a school bus, according to a copy of Moseley's plea agreement.

Richmond Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said the disagreement involved "a perceived disrespect" involving the Pringles can.

The two teens lived across the street from each other on Balsam Road east of Chippenham Parkway and west of Whitehead Road.

On Sept. 27, Moseley encountered the teen who was involved in the initial argument on the school bus and his brother, Shakir Kelly, now 17, according to the plea agreement. Moseley was with his cousin and her brother.

A fight started on Balsam Road, prompting Moseley to grab a shotgun from a vehicle. He fired the weapon once into the street, Baskervill said.

Pellets struck Kelly in the left leg and his mother, Kandi Kelly, in her leg and forearm. Both were treated at a hospital, but neither suffered life-threatening injuries.

"This is just what happens when tensions fly and people don't know how to resolve their dispute in a healthy way," said Baskervill, who handled the case with Andy Johnson.

Moseley pleaded guilty yesterday to malicious wounding, unlawful wounding, use of a firearm in a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Circuit Judge Melvin R. Hughes Jr. sentenced Moseley to 10 years for malicious wounding and five years for unlawful wounding, but suspended all 15 of those years.

Hughes also sentenced the defendant to three years in prison on the use-of-a-firearm charge and two years on the other weapon charge.

In addition, the judge found that Moseley had violated probation on the past charge of participation in a street gang and ordered him to serve three years that had been previously suspended.

Moseley's attorney Robert Ganey said he believed the plea agreement was fair to both sides, noting that his client had faced a possible sentence of more than 50 years.

Reed Williams is a staff writer at the Richmond Times-Dispatch.