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Four illegal aliens, Adalberto Regalado Romero, Pablo Romero Hernandez, Juan Carlos Cortes and Jesus Sanchez, were convicted of drug trafficking crimes during the June 2, 2008, term of Macon County Criminal Superior Court. One handgun and 238 grams of cocaine were seized by Macon County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Detectives during the investigation. The four co-defendants were identified as illegal aliens by the Macon County Detention Center by using the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Criminal Alien Program. Immigration Detainers were served on the four co-defendants and they will face deportation proceedings after serving their state prison sentences. The Macon County Sheriff’s Office participates in the Criminal Alien Program as part of the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association’s Illegal Immigration Project. The Illegal Immigration Project is a joint federal and local working group that was established in 2007 and is the first such project nationwide. The North Carolina model is a prototype that may be used nationwide in the future.The Criminal Alien Program does NOT involve round-ups of illegal aliens in the community or at work sites. Instead, it only applies to persons who “self-select” themselves for identification by committing a crime and being arrested. Since January 1, 2008, the Macon County Detention Center has run ICE Illegal Alien Queries on 147 inmates and ICE has taken custody of 17 inmates. The following convictions were handed down in Macon County last week:
Joshua Wade Adams, 29, a Macon County man, was convicted and sentenced in Macon County Superior Court after he plead guilty to two felonies of “Statutory Sexual Offense and Taking Indecent Liberties With a Minor.” Superior Court Judge John W. Smith sentenced Adams to a minimum of 28 years and a maximum of 34 years 7 months in prison.The crime occurred on April 13, 2007. The victim was six years old at the time and was subjected to improper sexual touching and digital vaginal penetration by Adams. The child disclosed the event to her mother and Adams was arrested on April 30, 2007. Adams is a registered sexual offender. Adams was convicted in 1999 of taking indecent liberties with a child. District Attorney Mike Bonfoey said, “This case demonstrates why it is the policy of my office to seek long prison sentences for child molesters. Nine years ago Mr. Adams committed a sexual crime against a child and now he has re-offended and did great damage to another victim. This time Macon County will be safe from him for at least 28 years.”
James Lee Clapsaddle, 31, was sentenced in the Macon County Superior Court Thursday June 6, 2008, to a total active prison sentence of a minimum of 12 years and a maximum of 15 years 2 months to be served in the North Carolina Department of Corrections. Clapsaddle was convicted after pleading guilty to one felony, Statutory Rape of a Minor. Superior Court Judge John W. Smith imposed the sentence. Clapsaddle is a Jackson County man. The crime was committed by Clapsaddle late summer of 2007 when he had sexual intercourse with the victim. The Macon County Sheriff’s Office investigated and brought the charges.
Christopher Lee Giddens, 33, a Macon County man, was convicted by a Macon County jury of four felonies First Degree Sexual Offense (2 counts), First Degree Rape and Taking Indecent Liberties With a Minor. The trial began on Monday and concluded Wednesday morning after the jury deliberated for approximately two hours and found Giddens guilty. After the verdicts, Superior Court Judge John W. Smith sentenced Giddens to a minimum of 24 years and a maximum of 29 years 7 months in prison.District Attorney Mike Bonfoey praised the work of ADA Ashley Hornsby Welch and Macon County Sheriff’s Office Detective Amy Stewart. “Detective Stewart acted quickly when she got the report and worked with Buncombe County DSS to investigate this case. ADA Hornsby Welch was told by the victims’ therapists that the children would not be able to testify in court. Ashley refused to quit preparing this case. She worked with the children and they were able to testify this week in open court. Their testimony was critical in obtaining the verdicts of guilty.” The crimes occurred between June and December of 2005 when the children were ages 8 and 11, but was not disclosed by the children until late 2006. Giddens in January 2006 assaulted the two victims. He was convicted of two misdemeanor counts of Assault on a Child Under the Age of Twelve. Giddens received probation, Giddens then violated his probation and was sentenced to 170 days in prison. While Giddens was in prison, the two victims disclosed to their mother that Giddens had sexually assaulted them in 2005 by anal penetration, oral penetration, vaginal penetration and improper touching. The children were then living in Buncombe County. The mother of the children immediately called Buncombe County DSS and then the Macon County Sheriff’s Office was contacted and the investigation began.
Adalberto Regalado Romero Regaldo Romero, a Mexican National, was convicted Thursday June 6, 2008, of one felony drug charge Trafficking in Cocaine. Romero was convicted after he pled guilty to the charge in Macon County Superior Court. Judge John W. Smith sentenced Romero to an active prison sentence of a minimum of 35 months and a maximum of 42 months (2 years, 11 months to 3 years, 6 months) to be served in the North Carolina Department of Corrections. In addition the Judge imposed a fine of $50,000.District Attorney Mike Bonfoey said, “... The evidence revealed that Romero had 174.7 grams of cocaine at his residence ready for sale or delivery. “ The crimes occurred on December 28, 2007.
Steven Elmon Vanhook, a Macon County man, was convicted on Thursday June 5, 2008, of Habitual DWI, Driving While Impaired, Driving While his License was Revoked. Vanhook pled guilty to all of the charges in Macon County Superior Court. After the entry of the plea, Superior Court Judge John W. Smith sentenced Vanhook to serve an active prison sentence of a minimum of 25 months and a maximum of 30 months in the North Carolina Department of Corrections. In addition to the sentence imposed, Vanhook’s license to drive was permanently revoked. Vanhook committed his most recent DWI and blew a .21. |
