RADFORD -- Three young Radford men who broke into the new Belle Heth Elementary School over the summer and caused more than $3,000 in damage will spend their holidays in jail but may be able to avoid felony convictions.

Marshall David Williams, Andrew Preston Black and William Russell Price, all 20, were charged with breaking and entering, attempted grand larceny and property damage -- all felonies -- and underage possession of alcohol, a misdemeanor.

Police found the trio at the new school just before midnight Aug. 8 after a resident nearby called to report seeing people inside.

At a hearing Thursday afternoon in Radford Circuit Court, the attempted grand larceny charge was reduced to disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, and the felony property damage charge was also reduced to a misdemeanor for each man.

In separate hearings, Price, Williams and Black, who were represented by attorneys Jimmy Turk, John Dalton and Bev Davis, respectively, pleaded guilty to the four charges against them.

Circuit Court Judge Joey Showalter said he found the evidence against them sufficient for a finding of guilt on the felony breaking and entering and the underage possession charges.

However, through a plea agreement, Showalter agreed to take the breaking and entering charges under advisement for two years. The charges will be dropped if the men meet all their court obligations and don't get in any more legal trouble.

Showalter also agreed to take the underage possession charges under advisement for 12 months.

He found the men guilty of the disorderly conduct and property damage charges. They were sentenced to a total of 24 months in jail with all but four months suspended.

They will report to the New River Valley Regional Jail in Dublin in November.

After their release, they will be on probation for two years and are banned for two years from Radford schools.

Radford Commonwealth's Attorney Chris Rehak said evidence would have shown that the men ripped several video projectors from the ceilings and overturned two air-conditioning units on the roof.

The men had been drinking alcohol, Rehak said.

The school has been repaid for the damage caused, he said.

In their written statements to police, Rehak said, the men said they had gone to Steppin' Out in Blacksburg and then decided to visit the old Belle Heth Elementary, where they had gone to school. They then went to the new school, which opened this fall, and got inside through an unlocked door.

Black was the only man to make a statement in court, saying he was extremely sorry for his actions. Showalter thanked him for his apology.