Judge Hands Down Sentences in Burglary, Theft, and Forgery Cases

DeKalb County Criminal Court Judge David Patterson handed down sentences in several burglary, theft, and forgery cases Tuesday, June 23.
A man who allegedly broke into the same residence twice within nine days in June 2014 was among those sentenced after entering pleas under negotiated settlements.
50 year old Bobby Floyd Duggin, who was originally charged with two counts of aggravated burglary, one count of theft of property over $500, and one count of theft of property under $500 entered a plea to two counts of burglary and received two years in each case to run consecutively with each other for a total of four years. The sentence has been suspended to supervised probation. Duggin is to make restitution of $1,350 to the victim. He is also seeking judicial diversion.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Saturday June 7,2014 Duggin allegedly broke into a residence on Lodge Street in Liberty through a kitchen window and took $450. The second offense occurred on Monday, June 16, 2014 at the same home and entry was made through the same kitchen window. Duggin allegedly stole $600. The cases were investigated by criminal detectives of the sheriff’s department.
45 year old Royce Foster, charged with burglary and theft over $1,000, pled guilty to burglary and received a six year sentence to serve at 60% before his release eligibility date. He was given jail credit from January 13 through June 23, 2015. Sheriff Ray said that on Monday, January 12 Foster entered an outbuilding on Jacobs Pillar Road and took green wrought iron furniture, a Stihl weedeater, a weedeater blade, and a Chaise lounge all valued at approximately $1,090. The cases were investigated by a sheriff’s department detective.
44 year old Lorie Denise Maclean, charged with theft over $10,000, pled guilty to one count of theft over $500. She received a one year sentence, all suspended to TDOC supervised probation. The term is to run concurrently with a Cumberland County case against her. Maclean was given twelve days of jail credit.
Maclean and a co-defendant were charged last year in a suspected theft of approximately 175 credit cards valued at more than $15,000 and other Walmart merchandise. The two were arrested by Smithville Police during a theft investigation on Thursday, April 24, 2014 at Wal-mart.
Corporal Travis Bryant told WJLE that Smithville Police were called to Walmart after a woman (Maclean) tried to leave the store with stolen merchandise. “She (Maclean) was caught trying to push items out of Walmart in a shopping cart. But when a loss prevention officer of the store tried to stop her, she abandoned the cart, ran to her pickup truck and drove away. She also left behind her boyfriend who was still inside the store,” said Corporal Bryant.
After police were notified, Corporal Bryant, and Lieutenant Matt Holmes responded and pulled over Maclean’s truck at the intersection of Broad Street and Anthony Avenue. As Maclean was placed under arrest, officers noticed items inside her truck that aroused their suspicion. They executed a search warrant and found around 175 American Express prepaid credit cards totaling $15,525 that had apparently not been activated along with approximately $2,700 worth of other merchandise. Police suspect many of these items may have been stolen from various Walmart stores in Tennessee and in other states.
28 year old Demelza Grisham, charged with aggravated burglary, theft over $500, and aggravated assault, pled guilty to aggravated burglary and aggravated assault. She received a three year sentence in each case to run consecutively for a total of six years on probation. The term is also to run consecutively with a Putnam County case and concurrently with a Smith County probated sentence. Sheriff Ray said that on Monday, November 18, 2013 Grisham made entry into a residence on New Hope Road in Alexandria and stole a Hewlett Packard Laptop computer, $300 worth of rolled change, and a book of checks all valued at under $500. The case was investigated by a criminal detective of the Sheriff’s Department.
30 year old Melinda Beth Murphy pled guilty to two counts of forgery and received a three year sentence in each case to run consecutively for a total of six years at 35%. The term is also to run consecutively with a parole violation against her. Murphy must make restitution to the victims in amounts of $293 and $260. She was given jail credit for 293 days served.
40 year old Jo Ann Luna, originally charged with forgery and resisting arrest, pled guilty to forgery and received a sentence of two years as a range one offender to serve 120 days and then be on probation. She was given jail credit from January 8 to June 23.
27 year old Molly Lawrence pled guilty to three counts of forgery and received two years in each case to run consecutively for a total of six years at 30% but concurrently with a probation violation against her. She must make restitution to the victims in amounts of $293 and $200. Lawrence was given jail credit of 162 days.
37 year old Lavar Bass pled guilty to theft under $500 and received a suspended sentence of 11 months and 29 days to run consecutively with his current probation.
34 year old Garth Cantrell pled guilty to theft under $500 and received a suspended sentence of 11 months and 29 days to run consecutively with another case against him.