September 7, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
A 52-year-old Smithville man received a four-year sentence on Tuesday, September 6 in DeKalb County Criminal Court on charges of burglary and vandalism over $1,000.
Judge Gary McKenzie presided.
Royce Avoin Foster entered a guilty plea to both charges and received a sentence of four years for the burglary and two years for the vandalism to run concurrently. He must serve at least 30% of the term before parole eligibility. Foster was given jail credit for 805 days served.
In the burglary case, Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on May 30, 2020 Foster broke into a shed/garage building on Holiday Haven Road and stole a 50-foot extension cord valued at $50.
In the vandalism case, Detective Brandon Donnell of the Smithville Police Department said, a witness saw Foster break eight windows out of a camper parked at the former location of the Regions Bank Drive-Thru at 509 South Mountain Street before setting fire to a nearby trash can which spread to the camper. Due to the crime, the camper sustained more than $5,000 in damage. Although the blaze came close to a propane tank on the camper members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department who were summoned to the scene got the fire under control before it reached the tank.
The incident occurred Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 8:30 a.m.
A man who allegedly stole more than $4,500 worth of athletic gear from the girls softball concession stand locker room at DeKalb County High School last October was sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court Tuesday, September 6.
38-year-old Daniel Ray Wilson entered a plea to a charge of burglary and received a sentence of four years and he must serve at least 30% of the term before parole eligibility. Wilson is to make restitution in an amount to be determined. He was given jail credit from October 24, 2021 to December 20, 2021 and from February 21, 2022 to September 6, 2022.
Sheriff Ray said that on October 4, 2021 Wilson entered the DCHS girls softball concession stand locker room and stole bats, ball gloves, helmets, fielding masks, ball bags and other items valued at $4,561 which belonged to the softball team, student athletes, and parents.
There was no damage to the building.