August 21, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
A man who allegedly broke into a residence and stole a chainsaw in March made an appearance in DeKalb County Criminal Court today (Wednesday).
24-year-old Kristofer Ryan Barrett entered a plea to one count of aggravated burglary and is facing a three-year sentence. A hearing on sentencing will be held at a later date. He has requested judicial diversion. Barrett must pay restitution of $1,100 at $200 per month to the victim. He was given 46 days jail credit.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on March 22, Barrett allegedly broke into a residence on Crestview Drive by forcing open the front door and stole a Stihl chainsaw valued at $1,000.
In other cases, 30-year-old Alex Murphy entered a plea to driving under the influence and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days suspended to supervised probation except for 48 hours to serve. He was fined $350 and will lose his driver license for one year.
Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins said police were dispatched to Wal-Mart on March 13, 2023 after a man was reported to be passed out in his vehicle. Upon arrival, an officer found the man, Murphy slumped over in the driver’s seat holding a handful of white pills, identified as Xanax. There were two children in the vehicle with him. One of the kids had no shirt or shoes and was in the front seat shivering. The other child was in the backseat half buckled in a car seat that was not connected to the vehicle. The engine was turned off and the doors were locked.
40-year-old Matthew Randall Sullivan entered a plea by criminal information to possession with intent to sell or deliver heroin. He received an eight-year sentence to serve but he will be furloughed to out of state long term treatment. If treatment is completed the balance of the sentence will be on probation. If treatment is unsuccessful, Sullivan is to report to jail to serve the sentence. He was fined $2,000.
Sheriff Ray said that on July 21 a deputy was patrolling Sparta Highway when he spotted a blue Jeep with the driver’s side taillight out. He conducted a traffic stop and spoke with the driver/ owner of the vehicle, 41-year-old Jonathan Kyle McCormick and a passenger, Sullivan. The officer searched the vehicle and found two baggies that contained a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine. One of the bags weighed 451 grams and the other weighed 225 grams with a combined weight of 676 grams. Also found were several baggies and a scale in addition to the following: a baggie that contained a white powdery substance believed to be heroin that weighed 32.01 grams; a baggie that contained a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine that weighed 4.51 grams; a baggie that contained 10 yellow pills believed to be Xanax; a straw with residue; a scale with residue; a glass with a red liquid inside; a pill bottle that contained two orange pills believed to be Buprenorphine; and several burnt pieces of aluminum foil.
The case against McCormick apparently remains pending in court.