4 arrested in Belvedere Theater
sting plead guilty
DeKalb County Solicitor-General Robert D. James Jr. announced last week that five of six defendants who were arrested in a DeKalb County Police Department vice and narcotics sting appeared in court Aug. 4 for arraignment.
Four of the defendants pleaded guilty; one defendant pleaded not guilty and one defendant failed to appear.
Six men—Roger W. Brown, 68, of Decatur; Sherman Cherry, 46, of College Park; Charles Crotty, 75, of Stone Mountain; Mack Leenhouts, 47, of Decatur; Ernest J. Smith, 65, of Lilburn; and George W. Smith, 80, of Monroe–were arrested and charged with public indecency during a DeKalb County Police Department vice and narcotics sting at the Belvedere Theater, located on Columbia Drive in Decatur.
“The sting was brought on by complaints from members of the community that surrounds the theater,” said James. “By seeking punishment for these defendants, we hope to discourage this type of behavior and to restore a measure of justice to this community.”
Brown, Leenhouts, Ernest Smith and George Smith each entered a plea of guilty to one count of public indecency and were sentenced and ordered to serve 12 months of probation, pay a $500 fine, serve 40 hours of community service, undergo psycho-sexual evaluation and treatment, and stay away from the Belvedere Theater.
Crotty entered a plea of not guilty, and will make his next appearance on Sept. 19. Cherry failed to appear at his arraignment. The judge authorized a bench warrant for Cherry’s arrest; which the solicitor-general’s office said would be issued in a few days.
Assistant Solicitor-General Sophia Haynes prosecuted the case, and Judge Johnny Panos presided.
|
