Probation Revoked for Man in Attempted Kidnapping Case

A Smithville man who was on probation for attempted especially aggravated kidnapping and theft is going to prison to serve the balance of a ten year sentence.
(CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW MUG SHOTS OF PERSONS RECENTLY BOOKED AT THE DEKALB COUNTY JAIL- Intakes & Releases From: 12/04/2017 Thru: 12/11/2017)
Seagate Crystal Reports – REPOR_51.pdf (2.82 MB)
Judge David Patterson revoked the probation of 23 year old John Thomas Mason following a hearing Friday in DeKalb County Criminal Court.
Mason, who was originally charged with especially aggravated kidnapping, has been on probation since he entered a plea by criminal information in April to the lesser offense of attempted especially aggravated kidnapping and theft over $1,000.
In April, Mason received a ten year sentence on the kidnapping charge as a range 1 offender to serve six months of the term with the rest to be served on TDOC probation. Mason got a two year sentence for the theft as a range 1 offender with the term suspended to probation. The sentences are to run concurrently with each other. Mason is to make restitution of $6,246 to one victim and $371.64 to another.
Although Mason was to stay out of trouble and make regular reports to his probation officer, he failed to do either.
A probation officer testified Friday that Mason never reported to her as part of his conditions for release. A deputy also testified that in August he spotted Mason in a vehicle running a stop sign. When he tried to pull him over, Mason failed to stop and sped away. Mason was later arrested and charged in the case for evading arrest and driving on a revoked license.
Mason’s attorney, Gayla Hendrix asked the court for an alternative to incarceration such as Mission Teens but the judge denied the request and ordered that Mason’s probation be revoked.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Monday, December 19, 2016 the Sheriff’s Department received a report of a stolen 2005 Toyota Corolla, valued at $6,000. Two days later, on Wednesday December 21 Mason and a co-defendant, 36 year old Christina Love Johnson were found in possession of the car in Warren County. A further investigation revealed that Mason held a man at gunpoint in the car forcing him to drive to Midway Road and then he took the car at gunpoint. The case against Johnson remains pending in court.