By Karen Hall

Editor

A man who allegedly stole nearly all of the City of Lewisburg's lawn-care equipment was indicted by the grand jury at their last session of the year.

Martin Riley III, 47, of Smithville, was charged with theft over $10,000.

Between 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, and 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 12, sheet metal screws were removed from the back of the building at Lone Oak Cemetery until the metal siding could be lifted up like a curtain, said City Manager Randall Dunn at the time.

The main door was opened from the inside and the city's 2002 white Chevy 2500 four-wheel-drive pickup truck was driven out and hitched to the city's 18-foot fålatbed trailer with ramps.

Then three Scag mowers, 10 Stihl string trimmers, four backpack blowers, an air impact gun and set of sockets, another set of sockets, chains and tools, and a metal detector, were loaded up and driven away.

By Sept. 12, Lewisburg Police Detective James Johnson suspected Riley of the theft, and he was arrested six days later. A search of the Tennessee Department of Corrections website shows that Riley was out on parole from a sentence that started in 2006 and was due to end in April 2014.

As the Tribune went to press, Johnson could not be reached for comment as to whether he believed Riley acted alone or had an accomplice.

Also indicted by the grand jury were

* Anthony T. McMillan, 23, of Nashville, is charged with aggravated assault. On April 10, he allegedly got into an argument with an ex-girlfriend over money, pulled out a handgun and fired a shot at her, and four more as she drove away. The Public Defender's Office was appointed to represent McMillan, but he was order to pay $50 per week toward the cost of his defense.

* Norris A. Endsley III, 26, of Silver Creek Road, was also charged with aggravated assault, as well as domestic assault. Endsley is accused of kicking his victim in the face and attempting to strangle her. In his case file, however, is a three-page handwritten statement by him which ends with, "On Nov. 6 she lied to the police. I was arrested. She also lied at my preliminary hearing."

* Gena L. Garton, 33, of Chapel Hill, was charged with TennCare fraud and theft of services. In April, she is accused of "fraudulently failing to disclose employment income to DHS in order to be eligible for TennCare benefits." As for the theft of services charge, Garton allegedly obtained more than $1,000 worth of "medical assistance benefits provided by the State of Tennessee by means of deception, fraud ... or other means."

* Larry D. Mahaley, 29, of White Drive, was indicted in four drug cases, all relating to the sale and delivery of cocaine or crack cocaine in July and August to a confidential informant working for the 17th Judicial District Drug Task Force.

* Larsheika L. Hill, 36, of Old Farmington Road, who allegedly helped Mahaley with one of his drug sales, was charged with criminal responsibility for sale and delivery of a controlled substance.

Readers are reminded that indictment constitutes only charges and under the American system of justice, every person is presumed innocent until they plead guilty or their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.