Bell Circuit Court hands down sentences

Anthony Cloud

Staff Writer

A Pineville man entered a guilty plea for abusing a child. Gary Dale Ramey, 43, of Pineville, plead guilty to first-degree criminal abuse. Ramey was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary.

According to the indictment, Ramey intentionally abused a person 12-years-old or younger by beating the individual. The indictment referred to the act as torture and cruel punishment.

The document stated that the court considered the possibility of probation, probation with an alternative sentencing plan or conditional discharge. After due consideration of the nature and circumstances of the crime and the history, character and condition of Ramey, the court decided that correctional treatment was needed.

Bell County Sheriff Bruce Bennett was present at the sentencing.

Other sentences handed down recently included:

• Jeffrey Lynn Stevens, of Hulen, plead guilty to three different indictments. On the first, he plead guilty to first- and second-degree trafficking a controlled substance and being a persistent felony offender. He was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary.

Under the second indictment, Stevens plead guilty to two counts of first-degree trafficking a controlled substance. He was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary for the indictment.

On the third indictment, Stevens plead guilty to second-degree robbery and being a persistent felony offender. He was sentenced to 10 years in the penitentiary for the robbery and 20 years in the penitentiary for being a persistent felony offender. All the sentences are to run concurrently with each other;

• James Michael Epley Jr., 19 of Pineville, plead guilty to the charge of theft by unlawful taking over $500. He was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary. If the sentence is probated, he will be placed on supervised probation for a period of five years;

• Ryan Andrew Byrd, 28 of Middlesboro, plead guilty to two indictments. On the first, Byrd plead guilty to third-degree burglary, theft by deception under $500 and for being a persistent felony offender. He was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary for the burglary charge and 12 months in the Bell County Jail for the theft charge. The charge for being a persistent felony offender will act as an enhancement to the previous charges.

On the second indictment, Byrd plead guilty to the charge of theft by unlawful taking over $500. He was sentenced to three years in the penitentiary. Each sentence will run concurrently with each other;

• David Jones, 48 of Middlesboro, plead guilty to the charge of assault under extreme emotional disturbance and for being a persistent felony offender. He was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary for the assault charge and 10 years in the penitentiary for being a persistent felony offender;

• Amy M. Turner, 23, of Middlesboro, plead guilty to four counts of receiving stolen property over $500. She will serve 90 days in the Bell County Jail for each of the charges. For the remainder of the sentences, Turner will be placed on supervised probation for a period of five years;

• Byron Howard, 54 of Baxter, plead guilty to the charge of theft by unlawful taking over $500. He was sentenced to two years in the penitentiary;

• Steven M. Washam, 42 of Pineville, plead guilty to the charge of receiving stolen property over $500. He was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary. If sentence is probated, he will be placed on supervised probation for five years;

• Stacy Evans, 24, of Cumberland Gap, Tenn., plead guilty to the charge of first-degree promoting contraband. She will serve 30 days in the Bell County Jail. For the remainder of the sentence, she will be placed on supervised probation for five years;

• Jennifer Marie Miracle, 29, of Middlesboro, plead guilty to the charge of theft by unlawful taking over $500 and leaving the scene of an accident. She was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary for the theft charge and 12 months in the Bell County Jail for leaving the scene of an accident. If the sentence is probated, she will be placed on supervised probation for a period of five years;

• Justin Maggard, 23, of Sevierville, Tenn., plead guilty to the charge of theft by unlawful taking under $500. He was sentenced to 12 months in the Bell County Jail. If the sentences are probated, he will be placed on supervised probation for a period of 24 months;

• Timothy C. Frazier, 27, of Pineville, plead guilty to the charge of third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. He will serve 60 days in the Bell County Jail. For the remainder of the sentence, he will be placed on supervised probation for a period o 24 months;

• Rader G. Fuson, 70, of Middlesboro, plead guilty to the charge of disposal at other than permitted site (open dump). He was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary. If the sentence is probated, he will be placed on supervised probation for a period of five years;

• Stacy Edward Barnett, of Middlesboro, plead guilty to the charge of receiving stolen property over $500. He was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary. If the sentence is probated, he will be placed on supervised probation for a period of five years;

• Jason Taylor Shipley, 31, of Cumberland Gap, Tenn., plead guilty to two counts of first-degree possession of a controlled substance, third-degree possession of a controlled substance and theft by unlawful taking under $500. He was sentenced to three years in the penitentiary for each first-degree possession charge and 12 months in the Bell County Jail for the second-degree possession charge and the theft charge. If the sentences are probated, he will be placed on unsupervised probation for a period of three years;

• Jonah Royce Robey, 21, plead guilty to second-degree burglary and theft by unlawful taking over $500. He was sentenced to 10 years in the penitentiary for the burglary charge and five years for the theft charge;

• Jordan Lee Pannell, 20, plead guilty to second-degree burglary and theft by unlawful taking. He was sentenced to 10 years in the penitentiary for the burglary charge and five years in the penitentiary for the theft charge;

• Michael Albert Partin plead guilty to the charge of assault under extreme emotional disturbance and for being a persistent felony offender. He was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary for the assault charge.The charge for being a persistent felony offender will act as an enhancement to the sentence imposed for the assault charge.

Anthony Cloud is a staff writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. He can be contacted via email at acloud@heartlandpublications.com.