Judge orders Williamsburg women to pay back man they exploited

Circuit Judge Dan Ballou ordered two Williamsburg residents to pay over $30,000 in restitution Monday afternoon for exploiting an adult person.

Ballou sentenced both Amy Renee Bennett, 33, and Penny Strunk, 29, to three years in prison for adult exploitation, but he agreed to probate those sentences for five years.

Ballou ordered Bennett to pay $6,500 and Strunk to pay $24,400 in restitution.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble said there was probably more money that the two obtained, but this is all authorities could prove.

Bennett and Strunk weren’t working together.

"It just occurred during the same period of time," he said.

"They were charged under the adult exploitation statutes," Trimble said. "That is where they take advantage of either an older person or a person, who is challenged physically or mentally. In this case here, it was a younger person, but he was mentally challenged. They took advantage of him and obtained money, cash and property."

Neither woman has a job. Bennett is living at the homeless shelter after spending nine months in jail.

The judge ordered each woman to pay $50 per month in restitution until Sept. 4 hearings in their cases where he warned them "at that time it is going to go up significantly."

Ballou also ordered each woman to report to probation office once a week until they find a job to show proof that they are "eagerly and actively" pursuing a job.

In addition, Ballou assessed each woman $130 in court costs, a $450 public defender fee and a $20 arrest fee.