One of two people charged with breaking into a residence on Oak Drive last October was sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court Friday.
Judge Leon Burns, Jr. presided.
42 year old Don Groshon pled guilty to aggravated burglary and a separate count of passing a forged prescription and received a total sentence of six years, all suspended to supervised probation except for six months to serve. He is to make restitution to the victim in the amount of $1,200 jointly and severally with a co-defendant in the case, 38 year old Lynda Neville. The theft count was nollied or dropped. Groshon received a four year sentence for the aggravated burglary and two years for passing the forged prescription. The two sentences are to run consecutively for a total of six years. Groshon was given jail credit from October 13, 2013 to November 1, 2013 and from January 15, 2014 to May 23, 2014.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Friday, October 11, 2013 Neville and Groshon allegedly entered a residence on Oak Drive by removing a window and took two push mowers, a full DVD case, a knife, cell phone, a VCR, DVD player, xbox and games, several power tools, and other items all valued at over $1,000. According to Sheriff Ray, Neville and Groshon admitted to committing the crimes.
41 year old Randy Glenn Haslam pled guilty to theft over $1,000 and received a three year sentence, all suspended to probation to be supervised in Rutherford County. The sentence is to run concurrently with a case against him in Rutherford County. He is also to make restitution to the victim locally.
Sheriff Ray said that December 7, 2012, Haslam allegedly took several items belonging to a female family member. The items were locked up in a safe at her home on New Hope Road in Alexandria. Haslam was living with this woman at the time of the theft. Several pieces of jewelry were taken with a total estimated value of $12,725. The stolen items included a gold woman’s watch, a gold nugget bracelet, a 3 karat diamond gold bracelet, hoop earrings with diamonds, an 8 mm gold band quarter karat ring with seven diamonds on the top, a 3 karat diamond cluster ring, and miscellaneous gold rings and earrings. The case was investigated by a criminal detective of the Sheriff’s Department.
34 year old James Handy pled guilty to theft over $1,000 and received a three year sentence, all suspended to supervised probation. The sentence is to run concurrently with a Macon County sentence against him. He is also to make restitution of $2,673 to Walmart.
40 year old Sharon Malone pled guilty to simple possession of a schedule II drug and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, all suspended to supervised probation to be supervised by community corrections. She was fined $750. The sentence is to run concurrently with another case against her.
28 year old Jessica Renee Bogle pled guilty to evading arrest and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, but she was given credit for time served from December 6, 2013 to May 23, 2014. The sentence is to run concurrently with a violation of probation sentence against her.
Sheriff Ray said that on Monday, November 25, 2013 a deputy went to Bogle’s home on Holmes Creek Road to serve the VOP warrant on her. Bogle told the officer she had to put on different clothes before leaving. She went into a bedroom, slammed the door, and then went out another door exiting the home. The officer was unable to locate her. Bogle was picked up on Friday, December 6.
28 year old Stephen Hunter Pugh pled guilty by information to two counts of a second offense of driving under the influence and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days in each case to run consecutively for a total of almost two years. The sentence is suspended to supervised probation except for sixty days to serve. Pugh was fined $1,220 and he will lose his license according to Tennessee Department of Safety regulations. He was given jail credit from April 3 through May 23, 2014.
Sheriff Ray said that on Friday, August 9, 2013 Pugh was operating a motor vehicle on Highway 70 west when he was stopped by a deputy for failure to maintain his lane of travel. The officer had prior knowledge that Pugh’s license were revoked. A computer check confirmed that his license were revoked for a prior DUI on May 14, 2009 in DeKalb County. Pugh’s speech was slurred and he was unsteady on his feet. Pugh also had a white powdery substance in and on his nose. He performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks. He also submitted to a blood test. Pugh was arrested and brought to the jail for booking.
Pugh was arrested again on Tuesday, March 18, 2014. Sheriff Ray said that while driving east on Highway 70 near Snow Hill, a deputy spotted Pugh in physical control of a motor vehicle. According to the officer, Pugh left his lane of travel several times and at one point nearly crashed into a DeKalb County School Bus heading west on Highway 70. The bus was able to swerve out of the way to prevent a collision.
Pugh turned onto New Home Road and stopped at a business. The deputy made contact with him there. According to the officer, Pugh had slurred speech. He was unsteady on his feet and he submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. He also consented to a blood test. Pugh admitted to taking several drugs the night prior. He also admitted to driving the vehicle, saying he was going to the scrap yard to get money for his grandparents.
After conducting field sobriety tasks and speaking with the complainants who all witnessed the event, the officer determined that Pugh was in physical control of the vehicle while being under the influence of alcohol and or drugs. A computer check revealed his driver’s license were revoked.
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