Two receive prison time in Baker County court
Nursing home fraud suspect enters not guilty plea
Two receive prison time in Baker County court
By LYNSIE BREAUX
After several weeks of extended dockets, Judge Phyllis Rosier took a week off and Baker County Felony Court had a relatively light docket of only 50 cases. Of the cases that did go through court only two decided to plead guilty receiving prison sentences.
However, the most interesting case of the day was simply an arraignment.
Kathie V. Dupree, 35, was arraigned on one count of first degree grand theft and 43 counts of forgery.
Dupree turned herself into Baker County authorities in early March after more than $200,000 was found missing from patient accounts at the nursing home.
She was arrested and later released on $25,000 bond.
Authorities say Dupree, who worked at the nursing home, took money intended for patient trust accounts. Dupree is accused of taking a total of $211,000 by writing herself several checks ranging from $300 to $1,700.
Dupree has pled not guilty to the charges.
Darryl Wayne Manning, 43, pled guilty and was sentenced by Judge Elzie Sanders to two years in prison on a single charge of burglary.
According to police reports Manning was recorded by closed-circuit camera inside Mac's Liquor Store trying to break into the store's office and steal money from a desk in the office.
The video shows an unidentified man, who was later identified as being personally well known to the store's owner, going into the store's bathroom. While in the bathroom, Manning broke through the ceiling, climbed through the attic and broke back through the ceiling down into the office.
He was unable to get any money from the office and climbed back through the ceiling into the bathroom.
When he was arrested, the police reported that Manning told police that he didn't know why he did it.
"I know Ms. Joyce has cameras everywhere," Manning told police.
The other person receiving prison time Monday was Roy Deshonn Prevatt, 35.
Prevatt pled guilty to one count of attempted burglary, resisting arrest without violence and criminal mischief and was sentenced to 41 months in prison.
Police reports show that deputies were called out in reference to a prowler. While investigating, deputies found a screen cut and footprints leading from the door on which the screen had been cut.
While investigating the initial crime, the deputy heard screams coming from across the street.
Upon crossing the street, the deputy found a man crouched down in a chair on the porch.
Seeing a knife near the man, the deputy ordered him to lay down with his hands visible.
The report states that the man at first refused to get up and when he did finally get up he moved toward the knife.
The deputy deployed his taser at which time the suspect decided to comply with the deputy's instructions and lay down.
After handcuffing the suspect the deputy compared the suspect's shoes with the prints in the back yard of the previous house. They matched.
