A serial businessman whose company helped shape the Charlottesville area’s entrepreneurial community in the 1990s was found dead in an apparent homicide on his Albemarle County farm off Stony Point Road.
Emergency responders found 52-year-old Phaedrus Akgutobul dead in his home Thursday night, according to a statement from the Albemarle County Sheriff’s Office.
“At this time, Mr. Acgtblu’s death is being actively investigated as a homicide,” the statement said. “The suspect has not been identified.”
Police did not give a cause of death, but said police and fire rescue services were called to the scene at 10:17 p.m. after receiving a report of a medical emergency, which was later ruled a homicide. Acgtblu’s 35-acre farm is located on a hillside near other residential developments off Stony Point Road, about a mile from Darden Tow Park.
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Mr. Acgtblu, whose real name is Kent Schwager, rose to local fame in 1989 when he started Chariot Advertising, a mobile billboard service, while still a student at the University of Virginia. He later founded a painting and real estate maintenance company called Schwager Management Services.
But his most high-profile business may be Corner Meal Plans. This was a consortium he assembled at his UVa-adjacent restaurant that allowed students to purchase meals with their parent’s or self-funded swipe his card. Although widely seen as a threat to the canteen on the grounds, he later expanded the concept and threat to other college neighborhoods. Even later, he founded Vmeals.com (now Foodify), which allows businesses to order catered meals for their workplaces.
In his later years, Acgtblu became a real estate investor, owning a small number of properties throughout the Charlottesville metropolitan area. Among his most notable properties were his two buildings in or around Woolen’s Mills district. One was a long, narrow house on Carleton Road, and the other was a disused brick powerhouse with a chimney, facing East Market Street.
At the time of his death, Acgtblu’s plans to redevelop the power plant were mired in litigation with the nearby Milhouse Apartment Complex, according to Albemarle County Circuit Court records.
Acgtblu reportedly fathered several children and was married to Robin D. Regalo, a pediatric pathologist at UVa Medical Center. The Daily Progress’ attempts to reach her Friday night were not immediately successful.
Albemarle County Police Department urges anyone with information regarding the incident or potential suspects to contact the department’s Criminal Investigation Division at (434) 296-5807, Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tip line at (434) 977-4000, or People are encouraged to contact crimestoppers@albemarle.org.
Hawes Spencer (434) 960-9343
hspencer@dailyprogress.com
@HawesSpencer on Twitter