FAYETTEVILLE — Four people pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from a shoot-out last summer on Boxley Avenue.
Legal Lingo
Plea Bargain
A negotiated agreement between a criminal defendant and a prosecutor in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest to some crimes, in return for reduction of the severity of the charges or dismissal of some charges. Plea bargaining helps save the time and expense of trials by allowing the prosecutor to obtain guilty pleas in cases that might otherwise go to trial. The judge must approve the plea bargain before accepting the plea.
Source: uslegal.com
“There was not a single person involved in this case that was truthful with police,” said Matt Durrett, prosecutor. “They were all either shootin’ or lyin,’ one of the two.”
Cruz Conley, 24, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first degree battery and one count of being an accomplice to first degree battery. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison with 13 years suspended. Conley was initially charged with being an accomplice to attempted capital murder but entered into a plea bargain.
Cruz Conley was shot several times in the torso and arm during the June 14 melee. Shooting started after several men argued in the street; at least three guns were used.
Three others pleaded guilty to hindering police in their investigation or tampering with physical evidence. All were in Washington County Circuit Court.
Brandon Conley, 33, Cruz Conley’s brother, pleaded guilty to hindering apprehension and was sentenced to six years probation and 120 days in jail. Brandon Conley admitted he lied to police.
Adrian Smith, 35, Cruz Conley’s brother-in-law, pleaded guilty to hindering apprehension and was sentenced to six years probation and $1,000 fine. Smith hid a gun used in the shooting and lied to police.
Bethany Green, 27, pleaded guilty to hindering apprehension and tampering with physical evidence. She was sentenced to six years probation and six months in jail. Green lied to police and tampered with a gun.
“This is another situation I see all too often: the misuse, the criminal use, of firearms. There are people who would argue we don’t have a firearm problem in this country. We do.” Judge William Storey told Cruz Conley during sentencing. “We need to do something about it and not encourage the proliferation of more guns.”
Ten participants were charged in the case, most for lying to police, according to Durrett.
Three men and a woman pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison earlier this year. Stephan Perkins and Andrew Wilson-Moore fired shots, according to prosecutors. Kenyatta Perkins and Walter Green tampered with evidence. All entered plea bargains with prosecutors.
Tony Anthony McDonald, 40, is the remaining defendant and is awaiting trial on a charge of hindering apprehension. The case is set for April 11.
A charge of hindering apprehension against Travis Coleman, 42, was dropped. Several others were arrested but not charged.
“Fayetteville police did an excellent job of sorting through the myriad of lies in this case,” Durrett said. “People only started cooperating after police called them on their lies and they realized they were going to go to jail for trying to cover up for people who were out blindly shooting in the streets.”
All the lies made it difficult to sort out who was doing what, Durrett said.
“We’ll never know exactly what happened shot-by-shot,” Durrett said. “But, we know pretty much who did what and who was lying about it.”
Durrett said the incident resulted from hard feelings that went way back among several people who had moved to Fayetteville from Marianna. Others got involved because they were relatives or knew someone on one side or the other and interjected themselves into the situation.
“I don’t think the community is going to sit by and do nothing when people are out there shooting up the streets,” Durrett said. “It’s a little bit safer place today.”