Four more sentenced in sexual assault of Cleveland girl

  LIBERTY, TX -- Four men who pleaded guilty in the repeated sexual assault of an 11-year-old Texas girl were each sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison, terms they agreed to in deals with prosecutors.

Their sentencing hearings came after another man charged in the 2010 case chose to go to trial and was convicted and sentenced last month to 99 years in prison. Legal experts said his harsh punishment probably prompted the four sentenced Friday to plead guilty and will likely mean the seven defendants with cases still pending will seek their own plea deals.

Sentenced Friday were: Timothy Ellis, 20; his cousin, Rayford Ellis Jr., 21; Kelvin King, 23; and Jared McPherson, 20. All had pleaded guilty earlier this month to aggravated sexual assault of a child, and each must register as a sex offender once released from prison.

Rayford Ellis also pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a 2008 case, while King pleaded guilty to another aggravated sexual assault charge in a 2009 case involving an attack on a different girl. Each received 15 years for those charges and will serve those sentences at the same time as the ones for assaulting the 11-year-old.

Each defendant was allowed to hug family members before being taken away by authorities. All except for Rayford Ellis had been free on bail. Relatives of the defendants declined to comment after the hearings.

Defense attorneys and prosecutors also declined to comment, citing a gag order in the case.

During his sentencing hearing, King told the judge he was unhappy with his attorney, Jerry Andress, and his plea deal.

"I feel like, well, my lawyer really didn't talk about the case," King said.

Afterward, King's father, Kevin King, and Andress argued outside the courtroom about the sentence. Both men declined to comment to reporters.

Prosecutors say the girl, now 13, was sexually assaulted on at least five occasions by 20 men and boys in the Southeast Texas town of Cleveland, about 45 miles northeast of Houston. The girl was 11 years old during the assaults from mid-September through early December 2010. Police began investigating that December after a classmate of the girl's told a teacher he had seen cellphone video of men having sex with her.

All six juveniles and six of the 14 adults charged, including those sentenced Friday, pleaded guilty. The only defendant to opt for a trial, Eric McGowen, was convicted and sentenced last month to 99 years in prison, but he wasn't in court to face his punishment. McGowen, who had been free on bail, skipped out during a break on the first day of testimony, which included the girl's tearful recounting of the assaults and McGowen's role in them. He was arrested two weeks later in Houston.

The four men sentenced Friday accepted their plea deals after McGowen was tried and convicted.

Legal experts said Friday the seven adult defendants who still have cases pending are probably going to avoid trial after seeing what happened with McGowen.

"Unless one of the remaining co-defendants has something brand new, we are not going to see any more trials from this point forward," said Grant Scheiner, a Houston criminal defense attorney not involved in the case.

Joel Androphy, another Houston attorney not connected to the case, said a 99-year prison sentence for one defendant would definitely scare his co-defendants into pleading guilty. But Androphy said he believes at least one of the remaining defendants will probably decide to take his chances at trial.

"Trials are a roll of the dice. You have to weigh it all and decide how to handle it," the attorney said.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Man sentenced to prison for 5th DWI

  HUNTSVILLE, TX (KTRK) -- A Huntsville man received probation on four misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charges in the state of Washington. When his fifth charge happened in Texas, he wasn't as lucky.

Marc Al-vin Thomas, 35, was arrested January 5 for driving drunk in The Woodlands. He was charged with third-degree felony DWI, and he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.28.

It was the fifth DWI charge on his record. He was also arrested in Washington in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

According to The Courier of Montgomery County, Thomas was seeking probation and placement in a substance abuse facility program to help him overcome the alcohol addiction he claims is the reason for his DWI arrests over the years.

Thomas received four years in prison with credit for time served and good behavior time, a $2,000 fine and a one-year suspension of his driver's license.

Prosecutor Rob Freyer said Thomas was looking at prison time now because "this is Texas, not Washington."

You can read more about this story in The Courier of Montgomery County, one of our Houston Community Newspapers partners.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Convicted Cleveland rapist Eric McGowen formally sentenced

Eric McGowen, 20, last month was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

  HOUSTON -- A man who was a fugitive for nearly two weeks after fleeing his trial a day before being convicted in the repeated group sexual assault of an 11-year-old Southeast Texas girl was told by a judge Thursday that he would spend nearly the next century in prison

Eric McGowen was formally sentenced to 99 years in prison without parole during a hearing in the same courtroom from which he had fled. He will now be transferred to the Texas prison system.

The 20-year-old did not say anything during the brief court hearing, and mostly looked at the floor. When asked by state District Judge Mark Morefield if there was any legal reason why the sentence shouldn't be imposed, McGowen appeared to mumble something to his attorney, Matthew Poston. Poston said his client objected to the sentence because it was "cruel and unusual."

McGowen was one of 20 men and boys who authorities say repeatedly sexually assaulted the girl on at least five occasions from mid-September through early December of 2010. He was the first defendant to stand trial in the case.

McGowen was dressed Thursday in a red jumpsuit, was handcuffed and had a chain around his waist and legs. He appeared to have dyed his hair while on the run, changing the color from its previous dark hue to a reddish brown. He also appeared to be unshaven.

He did not say anything to reporters as he held up a piece of paper over his face while being led out of the courthouse by officers and loaded into a police car in the pouring rain. Poston and prosecutor Joe Warren declined to comment after the hearing.

On Aug. 29, McGowen was on trial, but never came back to court after a break in testimony. McGowen had been free on bail at the time. He fled the same day the girl tearfully testified about the attacks in her hometown of Cleveland, about 45 miles northeast of Houston.

The trial, held in the nearby county seat of Liberty, went on without him and a jury the next day convicted him of aggravated sexual assault of a child and then sentenced him in absentia.

Authorities tracked McGowen down to an apartment in northeast Houston and arrested him Tuesday. Six law enforcement agencies had coordinated the search for him. McGowen was apparently caught by surprise, as he was sitting on a toilet when authorities entered the apartment and arrested him, officials said.

The investigation regarding individuals who might have helped McGowen elude authorities continues, officials said.

Before his trial, all six juveniles and two of the 14 adults charged had pleaded guilty. Since McGowen's conviction, four other adults have pleaded guilty and are set to be sentenced Sept. 21.

His disappearance was the latest twist in a case that divided the small town of Cleveland, both because of the horrific allegations and suggestions from some residents that the girl was partly responsible because of her appearance. Police began investigating after one of the girl's classmates told a teacher he saw video of her being sexually assaulted in an abandoned trailer.

Prosecutors' case against McGowen included a videotaped confession and testimony from nearly a dozen witnesses, including the girl, who is now 13. Poston did not present any witnesses or evidence.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Drunk driver sentenced for crash last November that killed two people

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- An admitted drunk driver is now going to prison for a crash that killed two people in west Harris County.

Eric Quiroz pleaded guilty to charges in court Tuesday. He was charged with intoxication manslaughter for a crash on Highway 6 and Pine Forest last November.

Deputies say Quiroz ran a red light and hit another car. A passenger in his car and a person in the other car were killed.

Quiroz will serve 14 years in prison under the plea agreement.

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Houston tycoon sentenced for deadly wreck

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston tycoon John Goodman has just been sentenced to 16 years in prison for the 2010 drunk driving death of a Florida man.

Goodman's Bentley slammed into the car driven by Scott Wilson, 23, pushing it into a canal where he drowned.

This case had received national headlines after Goodman adopted his girlfriend in order to preserve his fortune while negotiating a civil suit settlement.

Goodman had claimed his car malfunctioned and lurched forward causing the crash. Goodman was also given a $10,000 fine.

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Houston millionaire convicted in fatal crash to be sentenced in Florida

Court records show 48-year-old John Goodman adopted Heather Hutchins, 42, in October.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A millionaire from Houston convicted of a deadly drunken-driving accident is set to be sentenced today in Florida.

A jury found John Goodman guilty of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide for the 2010 crash in West Palm Beach, Florida. Goodman adopted his adult girlfriend to shield some of his assets from a lawsuit but has since settled the suit with the victim's family.

The 48-year old millionaire could get 30 years in prison. He is now being housed in an area reserved for high-profile inmates at a Florida County jail.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Three sentenced to prison for stealing millions from oil giant

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Three former employees of Davis-Lynch have been handed lengthy prison sentences for stealing millions from the oil company and using it to buy lavish items.

Nancy Moreno, 55, was sentenced to serve 30 years, Yvette Ybarra Trevino, 47, was sentenced to serve 15 years, and Ernest Trevino, 44, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office. A judge also ordered that restitution of approximately $13 million be paid to the company as a condition of parole.

The former employees of Davis-Lynch were charged after an internal audit revealed more than $13 million had been stolen from the company and company equipment was found at the home of Moreno. Further investigation led authorities to discover that the employees used the money also to purchase luxurious homes, jewelry and vacations.

"Davis-Lynch was founded as a small, family- operated business, and Nancy Moreno was trusted completely. She would have coffee with the CEO in the morning, chat with him about news and such, and then steal him blind when his back was turned," Assistant District Attorney Wendy Baker said in a statement. "She started as the company receptionist, and although she had no formal training or college education, she eventually rose to act as the chief financial officer for the business. She and her codefendants were trusted, valued employees who betrayed the Davis-Lynch families."

Three others also have been charged in the case.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Jerry Eversole sentenced to three years probation

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Former Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole will not be going to prison. This morning, he was sentenced to three years probation for lying to federal investigators.

Eversole, who served as a county commissioner for 20 years, was accused of accepting bribes from developer Michael Surface.

Former Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Eversole received three year probation in a case that could have landed him in prison for three years, and cost him $100,000 in fines.

The sentence is for lying to a federal investigator about lavish gifts the feds say he received over a period of years from Surface, in return for county contract votes and influence from the powerful commissioner.

"Well, the judge said that both Surface and Eversole got a good deal. I think because of the fact that he had never been convicted of a crime, his wife's health, that he had resigned from office," said Undercover investigator Wayne Dolcefino. "It's within the sentencing guidelines and Rusty Hardin may have said what may have been the federal government's biggest problem. He said, 'It was outrageous to try to incarcerate that you didn't have the guts to take to trial and get a conviction on."

Eversole stepped down in September of last year, and took a plea deal that means he cannot hold public office for 10 years. Surface also cut a deal, and today he also received three years probation for his role. Surface admitted only to filing an improper tax return, deducting around $80,000 in property and landscaping, given to Eversole in exchange for his influence.

The 'friendship' landed Surface five lucrative contracts. But as a condition of the deal, he cannot enter into county contracts for five years. Surface could have received up to six years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to prosecutors, who asked Judge David Hittner for prison time for the defendants.

Now for his part, Surface told the judge he made 'a major error in judgment' and for that he said, 'I am deeply sorry.'

The case against Eversole began following a series of 13 Undercover investigations.

Stay with abc13.com and Eyewitness News for the very latest on the Eversole case.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Galveston Co. district clerk sentenced to probation

Jason Murray is accused of hitting his wife after a Christmas party.

  GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) -- The Galveston County district clerk has been sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay a $200 fine.

Jason Murray pled guilty to misdemeanor assault on a family member on Tuesday.

Police say Murray hit his wife after a Christmas party in the Upper Kirby area of Houston. She was treated at Hermann Hospital for a severe laceration. It is not clear if the conviction will affect his status as district clerk.

We worked on this story with the Bay Area Citizen, one of our Houston Community Newspaper partners.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Man sentenced for setting fire to Ft. Bend County rental home

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A judge sentenced a Fort Bend County man to eight years behind bars for setting fire to his rental home.

Keith Schupp, 39, pled guilty to arson in connection with the case. Investigators say Schupp originally set the fire in the Sienna Plantation subdivision back in 2009 to kill himself and destroy his ex-girlfriend's property. Schupp changed his mind and jumped through an upstairs window to escape.

On Tuesday, a judge told Schupp he had little sympathy for anyone who would start a fire in a crowded neighborhood with no regard for the safety of others.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Felon sentenced to 60 years for '09 prison escape

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- We have an update to the escape of a Texas prison inmate in November 2009.

A Montgomery County jury has sentenced Arcade Comeaux Junior to 60 years for aggravated kidnapping. The charge was related to Comeaux's escape during a prison transfer in November. Comeaux said he used a smuggled gun he obtained with the help of a prison guard to overpower two guards during a transfer. Comeaux is already serving three life sentences. You can read more about this story in the East Montgomery County Observer, one of our Houston Community Newspaper partners. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Missouri City man sentenced for gang-related shooting

  MISSOURI CITY, TX (KTRK) -- A Missouri City man has been sentenced to more than two decades in prison after being convicted of engaging in organized criminal activity.

Deandre Ashton Ward, 21, was sentenced to 21 years behind bars on Monday. According to Assistant Fort Bend County District Attorney Celena Vinson, rival gangs "FAB" (Forever About Bread) and "100 Clicks" were involved in an altercation at an Elkins High School football game in August of 2008.

After the game, shots were fired towards members of the FAB gang at a Missouri City McDonalds. After that shooting, Ward and other FAB members reportedly drove to a gas station on Highway 6 in Missouri City and confronted two people they believed to be members of 100 Click gang. Investigators say words were exchanged and as the victims left the gas station in their car, Ward pulled out a gun and started firing at them.

Ward and the others fled the scene in a vehicle, but were spotted an hour later by officers. They searched the vehicle and found two firearms, including one next to Ward. Forensic tests showed the gun next to Ward was the one used in the shooting.

At trial, Ward admitted being the shooter.

According to the Ft. Bend County DA's office, Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity enhances punishment for certain crimes when they are gang-related.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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Local man sentenced to 10-years for bad checks

   OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- A federal judge has sentenced a Houston man to 10 years in prison for passing counterfeit checks.

U.S. Attorney Sanford Coats says District Judge Joe Heaton handed down the sentence Tuesday to 38-year-old Michael Ralph Lamberti, who pleaded guilty in July to a single count of possession and uttering counterfeit checks.

In addition, Heaton ordered Lamberti to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence and pay $128, 614 in restitution to the victims of his crime.

Coats says Lamberti was indicted on March 16, 2010. Lamberti is featured on the America's Most Wanted website, which says he has a lengthy history as a con man and is wanted for theft and forgery in several states.

Lamberti's attorney, Richard Rice, says he has 14 days to appeal.

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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