Men involved in scrap metal heist receive probation
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, September 20, 2011
By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Two men involved in breaking into a China Grove home in May and accused of taking scrap metal received probation after they were found guilty in probable cause court.
Jason Marin Comer and Dustin Allen Furr were in court last week when a judge sentenced both men to 18 months of supervised probation.
Authorities arrested Comer and Furr after they believed the men had been breaking into the Lentz Road home over a period of months. The home was not lived in, but was storage for a family whose intent was to move into the home later.
Comer pleaded no contest to felony breaking and entering, but was found guilty of misdemeanor breaking and entering.
He received 45 days with the N.C. Department of Correction, which was suspended to 18 months of supervised probation. He was ordered to 50 hours of community service. He must obtain his GED or return to school, pay $750 in restitution, $20 for a court interpreter, $265 for court appointed attorney fees. Comer is not to have any contact with the victim and remain away from the property.
He pleaded no contest to felony larceny after breaking and entering and was found guilty of misdemeanor larceny.
He received 45 days with the N.C. Department of Correction that was suspended to 18 months of supervised probation, which will follow at the expiration of the first conviction.
The courts dismissed three counts of felony larceny after breaking and entering and three counts of felony breaking and entering.
Furr was found guilty of misdemeanor breaking and entering, but he was initially charged with felony breaking and entering.
He received 45 days with the N.C. Department of Correction, which was suspended to 18 months of supervised probation. He was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service. He must obtain his GED or return to school, pay $315 in court costs and court appointed attorney fees, $1,250 in restitution and $20 for a court interpreter fee. Furr is not to have any contact with the victim and remain away from the property.
He was found guilty of a lesser offense of misdemeanor larceny.
He received 45 days with the N.C. Department of Correction that was suspended to 18 months of supervised probation, which will follow at the expiration of the first conviction.
The courts dismissed three counts of felony larceny after breaking and entering and three counts of felony breaking and entering.
The following cases were also dispensed in probable cause court:
• Kentrell Lamar Coleman, pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of misdemeanor assault on a female. He received 120 days with the N.C. Department of Correction and given credit for three days. If he receives work release he must pay $265 in court appointed attorney fees. Coleman gave notice of appeal.
The original charge was felony assault by strangulation. He was accused placing the victim in a headlock. He was arrested in May.
• Calvin Jermaine Lewis, pleaded guilty of a lesser offense of misdemeanor maintaining a vehicle/dwelling place for a controlled substance.
He received 45 days with the N.C. Department of Correction which was suspended to 18 months of supervised probation. He was ordered to pay $315 in court costs and court appointed attorney fees as well as a $600 lab fee.
Lewis pleaded guilty to and was found guilty of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was given two days of special probation credit. The court also ordered Lewis obtain a GED, not possess illegal controlled substances, complete 50 hours of community service.
He received 45 days with the N.C. Department of Correction which was suspended to 18 months of supervised probation to run at the expiration of the other conviction.
The courts dismissed charges of felony possession with the intent to sell and deliver marijuana.
In July, Lewis was arrested at a traffic stop for drug possession. An arrest warrant said he had four bags of marijuana in his possession.
• Katlin Anne Mazzocchi, charges of felony robbery with a dangerous weapon and felony second-degree kidnapping were dismissed.
Court records said a witness provided different statements in reference to the alleged crimes.
The witness says “defendant did not have a weapon,” a court document said.
Mazzocchi was arrested in April along with Marco Antonio Pina-Reza, also known as Mark Pina.
A teen told authorities that the two pulled a gun on him, tied him to a chair and took items from his home.
Charges were also dismissed against Pina-Reza.
• Nicholas Mulligan, three counts of felony obtaining property by false pretense was dismissed.
Court records said Mulligan pleaded guilty to a related case in Iredell County and per an agreement, the Rowan court did not proceed on the Rowan charges.
Mulligan, known as Nick, was arrested in January, following an investigation into missing storm grates from Mooresville.
Authorities said Mulligan recycled the grates for cash.
• Demario Antwan Bost, felony possession with intent to manufacture sell and deliver a schedule VI controlled substance.
He was sentenced to six to eight months in the N.C. Department of Correction, where he is already serving a sentence for a robbery offense earlier this year.
He was arrested in July after an anonymous tip led police to find marijuana hidden around his vehicle’s gas tank.
• James Burris, pleaded no contest to felony embezzlement and was found guilty of misdemeanor larceny.
He was charged in August with taking $25,000 while he was an employee at Jersey Mike’s Subs dating back to 2009.
Co-defendant Parker Murphy, also pleaded no contest to felony embezzlement and was found guilty of misdemeanor larceny.
Both were given 45 days in the N.C. Department of Correction that was suspended to 18 months of unsupervised probation. Burris and Murphy were ordered to pay $400 in restitution. They were also ordered to complete 24 hours of community service within 90 days. They are to remain away from the business and the owner.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.