Newport News Woman Sentenced for Role in Murder

NEWPORT NEWS, VA—Tayvonna Licorish, 26, of Newport News was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for her part in the 2008 murder of Jonte Terry in the Kmart parking lot located at Oriana Drive in Newport News.

Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Royce E. Curtin, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen.

Licorish was charged on January 16, 2013, in a superseding indictment with accessory after the fact and misprision of a felony. Her boyfriend, Aronte Jarvis, was indicted on October 10, 2012, on charges of murder in aid of racketeering activity, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, murder with a firearm, and drug conspiracy. Jarvis was sentenced to life in prison on September 20, 2013. Licorish pled guilty on October 21, 2013, to misprision of a felony.

According to court records, Jarvis was a member of a criminal organization known as Thug Relations, operating in the Aqueduct Apartments, St. Michael’s Apartments, Warwick Lawns, Warwick Town Homes, Heritage Trace Apartments, Mariner’s Landing Apartments, Sharon Drive, and the Savage Drive areas of Newport News. The defendant and others established the power and prestige of the gang through violence, including the murder of Jonte Terry on February 3, 2008. Terry, 22, was shot in the Kmart parking lot located at Oriana Drive in Newport News. Licorish was with Jarvis and their child at the time of the shooting, and witnesses told agents that Licorish was driving the car as the victim tried to flee. Following the murder, Jarvis, accompanied by Licorish, provided the black pistol used in the murder to an associate gang member who later disposed of it in an effort to hide the weapon from law enforcement officers. Licorish admitted to a number of witnesses that she was present when Jarvis shot Jonte Terry multiple times.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Newport News Police Department and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Howard J. Zlotnick and Lisa R. McKeel prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.