City employee fired after arrest

Fredericksburg City Manager Beverly Cameron said  ”termination paperwork is being processed” for Louis Philip Cox IV, who was the supervisor of the downtown Fredericksburg parking garage.

Louis P. Cox IV

Cox, 28, is facing drug and pornography charges. He was arrested yesterday at his job at the parking garage in the 600 block of Caroline Street.

He is charged with illegal manufacture of marijuana and 10 felony counts of possession of child pornography.

Fredericksburg and Virginia State Police detectives received information about a city resident growing marijuana in a basement, according to Fredericksburg Police Department spokeswoman Natatia Bledsoe on Wednesday.

A search warrant was served Tuesday at a home on Devonshire Drive, where detectives recovered several marijuana plants, computers and other related evidence, she said.

During the subsequent investigation and search of the suspect’s computers, detectives discovered explicit sexual material involving children, Bledsoe said.

According to Fredericksburg’s Assistant City Manager Mark Whitley, Cox was first hired to work for the city in August 2008 as a part-time maintance worker for the parks and recreation department. The following November, he was hired as a part-time parking attendant at the city garage.

He was promoted to parking garage supervisor in July 2010, Whitley said.

Cox, a multiple convicted felon, pleaded guilty in May 2010 to maliciously shooting into an occupied vehicle. He served a month in jail, according to court records. He also has several larceny convictions from 2006, records show.

He is being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

A court appearance was scheduled for this morning in Fredericksburg General District Court.

Cameron said Thursday an internal investigation is being conducted.

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