By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
A former Grayson youth pastor will serve five years and be required to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to engaging in inappropriate relations with a teenage boy. Upenyu Gogo was sentenced in Carter County Circuit Court last Tuesday, September 3, to five years each on one count of third degree sodomy and three counts of procuring the use of a minor by electronic means, with all sentences to run concurrently. Judge Rebecca Phillips also ordered Gogo to have no contact with the victim – who was 16 years old at the time of their encounter – and to undergo sex offender treatment.
In related news, Freddie Sexton had his case set for review again in November. Sexton is currently jailed on charges that include ten counts of first degree sexual abuse of a victim under 12 years of age. Sexton, as Freddy Sexton, has a second case also set for review in November, on four counts of first degree sodomy – victim under 12 years of age, and two counts of first degree sexual abuse of a victim under 12 years of age.
Phillips set oral arguments for December in the case of General Tackett III. Tacket is charged with two counts of first degree sexual abuse of a victim under 12 years of age, first degree rape of a victim under 12 years of age, and four counts of first degree sodomy of a victim under 12 years of age.
Pretrial was set for October for Drew Zirkle on charges of first degree attempted rape, and first degree attempted robbery. Zirkle also appeared on a second case, involving possession of carfentanil or fentanyl derivatives and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In other news, Jacob Holley appeared before Judge Phillips to be arraigned on charges of second degree manslaughter. His attorney, Robert Miller, entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf and issued a standard discovery order to the Commonwealth. Phillips scheduled a follow up for October, with the Commonwealth expected to extend an offer at that time.
Simon Hall entered guilty pleas on charges including one count of second degree burglary, two counts of theft by unlawful taking of items valued at more than $1,000.00 but less than $10,000.00, two counts of second degree criminal mischief, and one count of third degree burglary.
The Commonwealth also reached an agreement with Willetta Lewis on charges related to trafficking in narcotics. As part of the deal the Commonwealth dismissed charges related to failure to produce an insurance card, and charges of first degree trafficking in narcotics (two or more grams of methamphetamine) were amended to facilitation of first degree trafficking in narcotics. Lewis entered a plea of guilty to the amended charges, and will be released on supervised probation. Judge Phillips ordered her to have no contact with any convicted felons or individuals on bond in felony cases, unless they are immediate family members. She was also ordered to pay $165 in court costs, though no further fines or restitution were ordered.
Christina Mills entered a guilty plea on a charge of first degree wanton endangerment, and guilty pleas in a second case on charges of first degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), public intoxication, endangering the welfare of a minor, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Adam Lucas entered guilty pleas on charges of first degree possession of methamphetamine and fourth degree assault – dating violence with no visible injury.
Johnny Salyers pleaded guilty to a charge of fourth degree assault – dating violence with minor injury, while a charge of first degree strangulation was dismissed upon a motion from the Commonwealth at the request of the victim. Salyers was ordered to pay $165 in court costs, and ordered to have no unlawful contact with the victim.
Further sentencing information in these cases was not immediately available.
Future hearing dates were scheduled for Dakota Middleton, on four counts of wanton endangerment; and for Dylan Evans in his revocation hearing on two counts of convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and on charges of resisting arrest, fleeing or evading police, and two counts of assault on a corrections officer. A future date was also scheduled in Evans third case, related to his June arrest in an officer involved shooting. In that case, where Evans surrendered to police after barricading himself in the bathroom of a relative’s home, he is charged with nine counts of first degree wanton endangerment of a police officer, fleeing or evading police, two counts of third degree terroristic threatening, two counts of second degree wanton endangerment, resisting arrest, two counts of menacing, first degree burglary, public intoxication, and being a persistent felony offender. Evans original charges included attempted murder of a police officer. Phillips set the case for jury trial in December during a hearing last month.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
