Sometimes the criminals just make the wrong call.
A $4 robbery in Commerce has resulted in a Dallas man being sentenced to 15 years in prison. It is the details of the crime itself which are, at the very least, somewhat unusual. Those details included the defendant — a former DJ and rapper — twice being mistaken for the wrong gender and being held in a juvenile facility for a time until his true identity was sorted out.
The individual’s biggest mistake was in calling local law enforcement to report he and his co-defendant had run out of gas and they were asking for help ... while they were in a stolen car.
John Dates Jr., 23, entered a plea of guilty March 14 to a charge of robbery and received the sentence during a hearing in the 354th District Court.
Dates and Marquise Lamon Greer, also of Dallas, were originally indicted on one count each of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. The pair were alleged to have used a BB pistol to threaten and rob a female victim of $4 in cash in Commerce on May 4, 2003.
According to a criminal complaint filed as part of court records, the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office later received a call of a motorist needing assistance. The dispatcher told a deputy a female had indicated the car she was driving had run out of gas.
The deputy arrived on the scene near the intersection of Highway 34 and Hunt County Road 1007, south of Wolfe City, to find a maroon Cadillac and two people inside the car.
A check on the registration revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen earlier that evening during an armed robbery in Dallas.
The deputy took Greer into custody and prepared to transport him to the Hunt County Jail. The deputy, also believing Dates to be a juvenile female due to his high-pitched voice, according to the complaint, transported Dates to be housed at the Hunt County Juvenile Detention Center.
It was only later that officials at the Juvenile Detention Center learned Dates was indeed an adult and a male and transferred the defendant to the Hunt County Jail. The indictment returned against Dates indicated that at the time of his arrest, he was a DJ/rapper with a Dallas-based recording studio.
Dates pleaded guilty to a lesser included charge of second-degree felony robbery, as opposed to the original first-degree aggravated robbery charge. Dates could have faced a maximum sentence for a conviction of robbery of from two to 10 years in prison and an optional fine of up to $10,000. Dates could have faced a maximum sentence of from five to 99 years to life in prison for the aggravated robbery charge.
Marquise Lamon Greer entered the plea Tuesday in the 354th District Court to one count of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.
Greer entered a guilty plea to the charge of aggravated robbery in November 2004 and was placed on 10 years of deferred adjudication probation, was fined $500 and was sentenced to 180 days in the Hunt County Jail as a condition of his probation.
Local News
A bad call?
Dallas man calls police for help — from stolen car
- Local News
-
-
Skatepark project to enter planning phase
With $15,000 in the bank and two large grant proposals under consideration, the Commerce Parks Foundation is getting ready to enter the beginning stages of building the Commerce skatepark. While the foundation still has a long way to go before they can break ground on the project, donations of money, services and supplies from local companies and organizations like Atmos Energy, the Commerce Lions Club and Hayter Engineering have them on the right track, according to Commerce Parks Foundation President Barbara Lenington.
-
Commerce Community Plaza sanctioned by Mexican consulate general of Dallas
Hispanic and local community leaders met Monday night to celebrate the opening of the Commerce Community Plaza at the A.C. Williams Elementary School. Officials from the Commerce Independent School District, Texas A&M University-Commerce, the Mexican Consulate in Dallas, L.U.L.A.C were present at the event, which featured a ribbon-cutting, a salsa and enchilada cook-off and a performance by the Fusion Dance Group from A&M-Commerce.
-
Bonham Street receives historical district designation
Bonham Street has been a unique street in Commerce for decades, and now the historical area is finally getting the recognition, and hopefully the face lift, it deserves. The Commerce City Council has designated Bonham Street as a historical district, thanks to the efforts of the Bonham Street Association, and as soon as a design is finished, signage relating that information will be erected along the street. It’s clear just by driving down the street that a lot has happened on Bonham, and the street is special to residents who have lived there since the early 60’s and newcomers who fell in love with the street.
-
No action taken by city council regarding Throgmorton bankruptcy
No action was taken by the Commerce City Council meeting Tuesday night following an executive session to discuss Mayor Quay Throgmorton and his wife’s recent bankruptcy filing.
-
Warrant issued for former A&M-Commerce student
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a former Texas A&M University-Commerce student in relation to a stabbing incident that occurred on Jan. 6. Jerald Manuel has been charged with burglary with intent to commit assault, a second-degree felony in the state of Texas. If convicted, Manuel would face between two and 20 years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine.
-
Brick veneer crumbles off of Whitley Hall
Dozens of bricks fell from Whitley Hall’s 12th floor cooling tower Sunday night, prompting university officials to temporarily shut down both entrances to the building. No one was injured in the incident. At approximately 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, students were advised via the university’s IRIS alert system to avoid the building, and at 11 p.m. they were allowed back into the building, but only through the north entrance. The south side entrance to the 12-story residence hall remains closed.
-
Jasmine Sanford prepares to run for gold
Most college graduates are happy to simply celebrate their educational and athletic accomplishments after working hard for four or more years, but Jasmine Sanford will be taking on the hardest challenge of her life: qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
-
Two involved in stabbing on A&M-Commerce campus
A domestic disturbance at the New Pride residence hall on the campus of Texas A&M University-Commerce Friday afternoon resulted in violence and a hospital visit.
-
College Corner Cafe provides a taste of Austin in small town Texas
Step into the College Corner Cafe, a recently-opened restaurant located at Lee and Mayo Street, and the first thing you’ll notice is the music memorabilia. There are hundreds of pieces guitars, pictures, album covers and more- framed and hung on almost every square inch of space in the restaurant.
-
Guilty plea in assault case
A local man, arrested earlier this month after he was reported to have stolen a pack of beer, has pleaded guilty to an assault charge for allegedly attacking his cell mate in the Commerce City Jail.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Skatepark project to enter planning phase
NJ Museum Finds 19th Century Recording
Snow Causes Disruptions in Much of Europe
Clinton: Vetoed U.N. Syria Resolution 'travesty'
Romney Picks Up Decisive Win in Nevada Caucuses
Gingrich Renews Vow to Campaign Until Convention
Romney Rolls to Easy Win in Nevada GOP Caucuses
Raw Video: Missing Family Found Alive in Ore.
Police Clear Tents From Occupy Site in DC
Killer of Fla. Girl Found in Landfill Gets Life
Army Orders Bradley Manning Court-martial
Cancer Charity Revives Breast-screening Grants
Heavy Snowstorm Hits Colorado On Its Way East
2nd Teacher From LA School Arrested on Sex Claim
Prosecutors Close Armstrong Inquiry, No Charges
Sights and Sounds: Football Fans Pour Into Indy
Unemployment Rate Down to 8.3%
Fla. Man Adopts Girlfriend in Legal Battle
Raw Video: Prince William in Falklands
'Lucky' 9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant
