Court roundup for March 16

Fraud

The third person from Rocky Mountain, N.C., who pleaded guilty in relation to taking advantage of an Aiken County senior was sentenced Monday.

Jonathan Williams of Rocky Mountain who was originally charged with breach of trust more than $5,000 and exploitation of a vulnerable adult, among other charges, accepted a negotiated plea deal in January. Williams brought one installment of $15,000 to court to repay the victim and, in turn, received a five year probationary sentence as part of his plea deal.

The full sentence handed down from Chief Administrative Judge Doyet A. "Jack" Early was eight years in prison, suspended on the successful completion of five years probation, 100 hours community service and to pay an additional $15,000 back to the victim.

In 2008, Williams and three others came from the Rocky Mountain, N.C., area to Aiken and told a local woman that she was in need of renovations to her home. However, all four individuals were assessed to have taken thousands of dollars from the woman, but either did not do the work or did a very small portion of it. Local builders worked with the Aiken Department of Public Safety to assess the work.

The victim is in her 80s and suffers from dementia, according to court testimony.

Though the four individuals charged with the crime all came from the same area and preyed on the same target, the solicitor's office does not have specific facts linking the four to a conspiracy, according to Assistant Solicitor Steve Kodman.

Drug dealer

An Aiken native once sentenced to a quarter century in jail for dealing cocaine is heading back to prison.

Alonzo Key, 50, of Barnwell Avenue in Aiken was sentenced to eight years in prison and three years of probation after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine within the proximity of a school.

Key has three previous drug convictions, including a 1993 possession with intent to distribute cocaine charge where he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was released on that charge in 2004.

On this occasion, public safety officers had information that Key was dealing from his house, so they pulled his discarded trash and discovered evidence of drug dealing, including a small amount of marijuana and crumbs of cocaine and torn plastic baggies.

On this evidence, police obtained a search warrant and raided Key's home. Inside they found the defendant, two sets of digital scales, crack pipes and a measuring cup with cocaine residue on it, among other items.

The full sentence is 12 years in jail suspended on the completion of 8 years in prison and probation.

Contact Mike Gellatly at mgellatly@aikenstandard.com.