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| | Tuesday, September 09, 2014
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Grooms and Fine enter guilty pleas
Several defendants Monday entered guilty pleas before Judge Rex Henry Ogle in Cocke County Circuit Court. Jimmy Grooms, 49, Huff Road, Cosby, pleaded guilty to charges contained in seven criminal cases, telling the court he has spent 24 years of his life in prison. In January, 2012, Grooms and two females were charged after they were involved in the invasion of a home occupied by two adult women and a young girl. Grooms forced his way into the residence through the back door, and then grabbed one of the women by the throat and punched her. Both adult occupants said Grooms forced them to disrobe and then penetrated them digitally "looking for drugs." One of his co-defendants allegedly told Grooms to kill one of the adult victims along with her young female child, with a knife. The two female co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the incident. In the "best interest" plea agreement, Asst. Prosecutor Joanne Sheldon announced that four counts of aggravated rape were dismissed as part of the decision by Grooms to plead guilty to three counts of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, two counts aggravated assault, assault, DUI, vandalism under $500, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, three counts possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and violation of the provisions of the Community Corrections program. Judge Ogle ordered the defendant to serve a 12 year prison term at 100 percent, pay a $7,100 fine and make restitution of $285. Grooms and co-defendant Austin Fine, 20, Lower English Creek Road, Newport, pleaded guilty to jail escape. In May, the two were under supervision as a part of a drug rehabilitation ministry program and in the process of getting ready to go back to the jail, they decided to flee on foot. They were at a local church as part of a religious rehabilitation program. At the time Cocke County Sheriff Armando Fontes said Grooms had been on trustee status at the jail for close to a year and a half, during which time he had been a part of the drug rehabilitation program and had had no problems. Grooms was ordered to serve four years on probation consecutive to the 12 year sentence. Fine will serve 11 months 29 days on probation. Three individuals charged in a money laundering and official misconduct conspiracy had their cases delayed till November because Asst. D.A. Brownlow Marsh told the court his office is still compiling evidence in the case. Newport Alderwoman Kathy Hol, 50, is charged with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering and three counts of Money Laundering, Newport Detective Lynn Shults, 54, is charged with four counts of Official Misconduct and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, and Kenny Myers, 30, also is charged with money laundering. The fourth defendant in the conspiracy Newport Detective James Holt, 59, has pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from the investigation and is expected to receive a 90 month prison term. Prosecutor Marsh also told the court the state will dismiss charges in the recent arrest of a Cocke County man. Richard Reed, 55, Sage Road, Cosby, was charged with the sale and delivery of morphine in March, 1998, indicted in 2009 and only recently arrested.
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