A Greenville man pled guilty in Rockbridge County Circuit Court on April 8 to several felonies in connection with a break-in and property damage at the Fairfield carwash last July.
Jake Kinnear Collins, 29, was taken into custody on July 21 in connection with the incident at the Fairfield carwash on July 18. The equipment room at the car wash had been broken into in an effort to access the change machine, and a vehicle had been used to take down part of a wall for the same purpose.
The Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation into the incident revealed a connection to a break-in at another Fairfield business and that the car used in the break-in had been reported stolen from Smiley’s Truck Stop in Raphine in February 2025.
In November, he was indicted by a Rockbridge County grand jury for two felony counts of statutory burglary, two felony counts of destruction of property, one felony count of grand larceny, one count of grand larceny of a motor vehicle, one felony count of conspiracy to commit breaking and entering, one misdemeanor count of destruction of property, one misdemeanor count of petit larceny and one misdemeanor count of tampering with a money changing machine.
Collins entered guilty pleas to four of the felony charges: one count of destruction of property, one count of statutory burglary and one count of grand larceny in connection to the July 18 incidents, and one count of grand larceny of a motor vehicle for the theft of the car.
He was sentenced to four years for each charge, with one year and nine months suspended for the larceny and burglary charges and two years suspended for the destruction of property charge.
The sentences for the larceny of a motor vehicle, destruction of property and statutory burglary charges will run concurrently with each other and consecutive to the sentence for the grand larceny charge for a total active sentence of four years and six months.
Upon his release, Collins will be on probation for a period of four years and will be responsible for court costs of $3,777 and will have to make restitution in the amount of $22,333.43.
“These offenses caused real financial losses and disruption for local businesses and victims, and they deserve accountability,” Rockbridge County Sheriff Tony McFaddin said in a press release posted to the sheriff’s office Facebook page on April 14. “I’m proud of the thorough work by our investigators and our close partnership with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Rockbridge County and Lexington City to ensure this case was prosecuted effectively and justice was served.” The carwash, which had been closed since the incident last July, reopened in February as Dub’s Auto Suds.
