Former College Basketball Player Sentenced to Probation for Sexual Assault

Julius Francis

Julius Francis, a former center for Winthrop University's basketball team, pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and battery and disturbing schools on Thursday.

The charges stem from an April, 2011 incident in which Francis was allegedly sexually assaulted a 19 year-old woman.

Francis was sentenced to six months of probation.

Lincolnton Police Arrest Local Man for Sexual Assault Charges

Thirty-four year-old Anthony Thomas Ruffino was arrested Sunday by Lincolnton police on sexual assault charges.

A Lincolnton woman reported an incident involving Ruffino, prompting police to arrest him. Ruffino faces six charges including first-degree kidnapping, domestic assault on a female, possession of a firearm by felon, assault by pointing a gun, communicating threats, and interfering with emergency communications.

Because of the nature of his charges, Ruffino is jailed in Lincoln County without bond.

67 Year-Old Man From Iredell County Charged With Sex Crimes

John Allen McMillian, 67, has been charged with 17 counts of indecent liberties with a child. McMillian, a native of Olin, was apprehended on Friday. His first appearance in court was today.

McMillian was charged after a relative was examined at an area hospital, prompting an investigator from the Department of Social Services contacted authorities in Iredell County. The victim is 5 years old.

Authorities also said another possible victim has come forward in this case. That person allegedly had multiple incidents with McMillian between 1994 and 1995.

Catawba County Man Found Guilty of Sex Crimes

Hickory native James Allen Minyard, 47, was found guilty of a host of sexual charges. He was convicted of 5 counts of indecent liberties with a child and felony attempted first degree sex offense with a child under age 13. In addition to those charges, Minyard was designated a habitual felon.

He was arrested by Burke County sheriffs in 2009 after reports that a child in his care was being assaulted sexually by Minyard. The victim is Minyard's ex-girlfriend's son, according to the Hickory Daily Record. Police say the abuse took place several times from March to August of 2009.

Minyard received a sentence of 225-279 months in prison and has denied his guilt.

CMPD Arrest Man for a Rape from 1996

Davis

Earlier today, Thursday, June 14, 2012, Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Violent Criminal Apprehension Team arrested Bryan S. Davis for the sexual assault of a victim that occurred in 1996. The arrest took place at 305 Freeland Lane in the Westover Division.

On May 26, 1996, the victim in this case was walking along I-77 when the suspect began approaching her on foot in an aggressive manor. The victim attempted to flee to a nearby neighborhood for assistance when the suspect grabbed the victim and forcibly raped her. The suspect then fled the area.

Detectives with the CMPD Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit were able to re-examine the evidence for the incident and submit it to the CMPD lab. The lab then reported that the DNA evidence submitted matched that of the suspect. Detectives signed a warrant for 2nd Degree Rape for the suspect on June 13, 2012.


As of June 14, 2012, the CMPD Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit has reviewed 995 cases. Out of these cases 138 have been cleared, 48 by arrest, with a combined total of 895 years in suspect sentencing.

Man Charged with Rape, Sex Offenses & Kidnapping

Evans

Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Sexual Assault Unit have charged Lavatae Nacoma Evans with 5 counts of 2nd Degree Rape, 3 counts of 2nd Degree Sex Offense and 2nd Degree Kidnapping.

On June 6, 2012 at approximately 12:00pm,  CMPD Metro Division patrol officers responded to the 2100 block of Double Oaks Road in reference to an assault. When officers arrived, the victim advised that she had been held against her will and sexually assaulted.

The victim advised that she had met the suspect at the Transit Center and gone to his residence. While at the residence, the victim was sexually assaulted multiple times. The victim was able to escape through a window of the suspect’s house and call police from a neighboring residence.

A BOLO (be on the lookout) for the suspect was initiated and a short time later officers located him at the Transit Center in the CMPD Central Division.  Crime Scene Search responded to the call for service to process the scene and collect physical evidence.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a Sexual Assault Detective. Detective Horton is the lead detective assigned to the case. In addition, you may also call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600

Police Seeking Suspects for Robbery/Assault/ Sexual Assault @ Days Inn

Please see the attached photographs in reference to a robbery that occurred on May 15, 2012 at the Days Inn located at 1408 W. Sugar Creek Rd.  The victim was originally carjacked at 100 Tom Hunter Rd. There were four black male suspects and two black females present for the Robbery/Assault/ Sexual Assault.

If you recognize any of the suspects shown, please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

NC DOC Probation Officer Indicted for Civil Rights Violations

The Department of Justice announced that North Carolina Department of Correction’s Division of Community Corrections Probation Officer Willie James Steele Jr., 47, was indicted yesterday on civil rights charges for violating the constitutional rights of a female probationer that he was supervising by coercing her into sexual acts on two separate occasions.

Steele was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

According to the indictment filed in the Western District of North Carolina, the Division of Community Corrections supervised offenders serving state probation in the state of North Carolina and provided courtesy supervision for offenders residing in this state but who had committed criminal offenses in other states. Steele supervised the victim, who had had her probation transferred from another state, and had the authority to recommend to a court or other agency that the victim be incarcerated or otherwise sanctioned if she violated the conditions of her probation.

The indictment alleges that Steele engaged in acts that resulted in bodily injury to the victim and constituted aggravated sexual abuse, and that Steele used and carried a firearm during and in relation to that offense. It also alleges that Steele deprived the victim of her constitutional right to bodily integrity on a second occasion.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenny Smith from the Western District of North Carolina and U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Shan Patel.

Individuals who have additional information or believe they may have been a victim of Steele’s conduct are encouraged to call the FBI Charlotte Office at 704-672-6100. Willie James Steele, Jr. worked at State Probation office on Executive Center Drive.

CMPD Arrests Suspect in ’91 Rape & Kidnapping Case

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have arrested a convicted felon in connection with a 20-year-old rape and kidnapping, the CMPD announced Friday.

Authorities said Juan Vernard Taylor, 45, was arrested Friday morning in Charlotte. He is currently being held in the Mecklenburg County jail under a $125,000 bond.

Taylor was previously convicted of second-degree murder in the 1997 death of an 82-year-old man.   The alleged rape and kidnapping occurred six years earlier.

Police said a victim was walking on Newland Avenue in June 1991 when a vehicle pulled up beside her. Authorities said she was forced inside the vehicle, then driven a short distance away where she was raped.  The victim was let go, and the suspects fled the scene, police said. The victim then flagged down police to report to attack.

Police said the arrest came after detectives with CMPD’s Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit re-examined the case, and were able to link Taylor to the crime using DNA evidence.

Man Arrested for Sexual Assault on CATS Bus

Sedrick McCarty

Sedrick Marcellus McCarty was arrested yesterday for sexually assaulting a woman on a CATS bus.  He is charged with sexual battery and has a long history of assault and indecent exposure charges.

According to police,  the victim twas seated on the bus when the suspect sat near her and began rubbing his pelvis area against the side of her buttocks.   The victim alerted the bus driver who then stopped the bus at the entrance to Freedom Park where McCarty fled the scene, according to police.

Officers were able to track down McCarty a few moments later at Princeton Avenue and Sterling Road and placed him under arrest.

Man Charged with 1st Degree Rape & Kidnapping

Lavatae Evans

Sexual Assault Unit detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have arrested Lavatae Evans after an investigation into an alleged rape he committed at his residence. On Wednesday, February 15, 2012, at approximately 3:50 p.m. Metro Division officers responded to a call for service at a home in the 2000 block of Brewton Drive to investigate a possible kidnapping.

When officers arrived they spoke to the female victim who stated she was at the Transit Center earlier in the day waiting for a bus when she was contacted by Evans. The victim and Evans are known acquaintances and lived together at one time. The victim stated that she voluntarily left the area with Evans to smoke marijuana. After smoking the marijuana with Evans, the victim stated she attempted to return to the Transit Center and that Evans prevented her from leaving while displaying a gun. The victim told officers she was in fear for her life and complied with Evans’ demands.

According to the victim, Evans took her to his home on Brewton Drive against her will and raped her. The victim contacted family members and indicated she was in danger and asked them to call 911. Officers arrived at the home and took Evans into custody without incident. Lavatae Evans has been charged with First Degree Kidnapping, First Degree Rape, and 2 counts of First Degree Sex Offense in this case. The investigation is continuing to determine if additional charges will be filed.

Anyone with information concerning this case may forward anonymous tips to our Crime Stoppers tip line at 704.334.1600.

Woman Raped by Man off Sugar Creek Rd

According to a news report by WBTV News, a man is still on the loose after raping a Charlotte woman as she walked into her home off Osceola Lane, which is near West Sugar Creek Road around 8:30 pm.

A man with a knife in his hand ordered her to get inside her house and get on the ground, the report stated. The suspect then raped her, took her car keys, $60 in cash and a laptop valued at $500, according to CMPD.

The rape occurred in the Potter Glenn neighborhood.  Police only have a vague description of the suspect and said he's a black male. The Sexual Assault Unit is actively investigating this incident and anyone with any information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-336-1600 or Detective C.A Banner at 704-336-8279.

Massage Therapist Arrested for Sexual Battery

Joe Martin

A massage therapist from Mooresville, NC is charged with sexual battery after a woman told police Joe Neal Martin, 61, touched her inappropriately during a recent visit to a Cornelius alternative care center.

Cornelius police said Martin is a massage therapist at the Center for Holistic Care which offers natural medicine and alternative treatment programs for various conditions.

A woman reported to police that Martin had inappropriately touched her during a recent visit, said police, who arrested Martin at the Center for Holistic Care.

Joe Martin is in the Mecklenburg jail on a $600 bond. Anyone with information about this incident or any others is asked to call Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773.

CMPD Detectives make an arrest in Sex Assault case

Damon Simpson

Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Sexual Assault Unit are conducting an investigation into a sexual assault which took place at the Motel 6, located at 131 Red Roof Drive in the Steele Creek Division. The call for service was reported at 11:31 am on August 15, 2011.

Steele Creek Division officers responded to the Motel 6 to investigate the report of a rape. The incident was reported by the motel manager. When officers arrived on scene, they were taken to a room inside the motel where they met the victim. Medic was called to the scene and the victim was transported to Presbyterian Hospital for treatment. The suspect fled the motel in a Ford Mustang, which Steel Creek Division officers located a short distance from the scene.

The suspect Damon Vernard Simpson was taken into custody and has been charged with the following offenses: 2nd Degree Rape (two counts), 1st Degree Kidnapping, Assault by Strangulation, Assault on a Female, ADW/Law Enforcement Officer, Reckless Driving, Felony Flee to Elude Arrest, Resist Public Officer, Speeding, Open Container and Injury to Real Property.

Crime Scene Search responded to the call for service to process the scene and collect physical evidence.

Charlotte Man Arrested for 26 Child Sex Charges

Michael Washington

Early this morning, Officers arrested Michael Everett Washington for 26 different child sex warrants, including; 14 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, 6 counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and 6 counts of 1st Degree Sex Offense- Victim under 13. 

Washington has a neck brace in his mugshot because he was in a serious car accident on April 7th.  He flipped his car after hitting a drainage pipe on Harrisburg Rd and broke his neck.

It was the car crash that led to his arrest... a passenger picked up Washington's cell phone by accident and discovered several photos and videos of Washington having sex with a pre-teen girl.   She called police and Michael Washington is exactly where he should be!

US Army Recruiter Charged with Sexual Battery

Detectives with the CMPD Sexual Assault Unit served Charlie Landrum Ingram, a Recruiting Sergeant with the US Army, with multiple warrants related to an assault which occurred at the US Army recruiting office located at 440 McCullough Drive on February 3, 2011.

The warrants were obtained for two counts of Sexual Battery, one count of False Imprisonment and one count of Assault on Female.

According to CMPD, on February 3, 2011, the victim, a 20-year old female was at the US Army recruiting office participating in the 'Future Soldiers Program.' While she was waiting, Sgt. Ingram made inappropriate sexual comments to the victim and escorted her to a supply room where he sexually assaulted her.

The victim attempted to leave the room but Sgt. Ingram pushed her into the corner of the room and continued to fondle her. The victim was finally able to escape the assault when someone came into the building startling the suspect.

Sgt. Ingram was arrested and served with the warrants when he surrendered to CMPD Detectives on February 10, 2011. He was taken to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office and given a bail amount of $5,000 for the four misdemeanor charges.

Anyone with information regarding this case or any other incidents involving US Army Sgt. Ingram is asked to contact Detective Banner with the Sexual Assault Unit via e-mail or call 704-336-8279.

Man Arrested for Sexually Assaulting 14-Year Old Girl

Carl Walden is currently being held at the Mecklenburg County Jail after he was accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 14-year old girl.

According to police, the young girl told them Walden forced her into his car at gunpoint on Freedom Drive last week and sexually assaulted her. She also stated that Walden told her he had been watching her at the bus-stop and liked to pick up young girls.

The girl was able to jump out of the car and call police. The victim described the suspect's car to the police and told officers where the man stopped. A short time later, Officers found the car and questioned Walden when he admitted to picking up the girl and asking her to have sex for money.

A motion filed in criminal court stated a search of Walden's home turned up several ski masks and a collection of pornography tapes depicting "brutal rape" of women by men in ski masks. Walden wears the ski masks for outside work at Estes Express Line.

In addition, police found several pairs of women's underwear in a jacket pocket located in a closet. In another jacket pocket, detectives found a piece of paper entitled "client list" with names of women officers recognized as murder victims of serial killer Henry Lewis Wallace.

Prosecutors say Walden is also a person of interest in the rape of a 15-year old girl in a park near Rogers Street on January 9, 2011. The victim is unable to identify her attacker because he was wearing a ski mask. Prosecutors are waiting on DNA evidence in this case.

The court motion also offers allegations that a 17-year old was offered a ride home from a movie theater in April of 2009 by Carl Walden and he took her to his home on Rogers Street and sexually assaulted her. Police say Walden told them he wanted to make out with the girl but she started to feel uncomfortable and dropped her off on Freedom Drive.

In June 2006, Walden was also accused of raping a 30-year old woman. Walden claims the woman was a prostitute and was mad after he didn't pay her. The defense asked for a reduction in Walden's bond claiming he's hasn't any convictions for almost 20 years. The prosecution referred to Walden as a sexual predator.

If Walden is able to post his bond, the judge says he will be placed on an electronic monitoring device.... Thank Goodness!

Arrest Made in 1981 Sexual Assault Cold Case

Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit have arrested Roger Dale Honeycutt for a rape which he committed in 1981.

On February 21, 1981, Honeycutt entered the female victim’s home in the 2500 block of Eastway Drive through the front or sliding glass door in the living room. The victim, who was five months pregnant, had fallen asleep on a sofa in her living room. Her husband and young daughter were asleep upstairs.

The victim was awakened by a man who had straddled her body, and grabbed her face. He told her that if she didn’t scream, he wouldn’t hurt her. The suspect forced the victim to submit to multiple sex acts while asking her if she was pregnant. She acknowledged that she was five months pregnant.

After the assault, the suspect rifled through the victim’s purse and her husband’s coat before leaving the home. The victim went to the hospital where a sexual assault kit was performed. The victim described her attacker as being a W/M, approx. 5’ 8” weighing approx. 120 lbs.

The sexual assault kit was examined by the Charlotte Police Department’s Crime Lab in March of 1981. The lab determined that the kit did contain evidence of the rape. Without a suspect to compare the evidence to, the case remained open.

In March of 2002 Det. T.A. Armstrong, of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Cold Case Unit, reopened the case. He submitted the DNA evidence to the CMPD Crime Lab for DNA testing. In June of 2006 the Crime Lab generated a report indicating that the DNA profile had been uploaded into the national CODIS database.

On August 31, 2010 a match was obtained from CODIS identifying Honeycutt as the suspect. He is a registered sex offender who had been arrested for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in 2005. Honeycutt received a 5 year sentence but was released in 2008. His registration date in the offender file is November 25, 2008. Honeycutt was released from a federal prison on November 24, 2008.

On August 31, 2010 detectives with the Cold Case Unit, began searching for the victim in this case. She was located in another state. Detectives met with the victim and reviewed the case with her. As a result of this interview, combined with the physical evidence, warrants were obtained for the arrest of Roger Dale Honeycutt.

Mr. Honeycutt was arrested at his home in Kannapolis without incident on Monday, October 18, 2010. He’s been charged with: 2nd Degree Rape, 2nd Degree Sex Offense, and 1st Degree Burglary. Mr. Honeycutt is currently in the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.

The CMPD Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit has investigated 661 cases since its inception in 2006 and has solved 98 cases. There have been 20 convictions resulting in total sentences of over 800 years.

The CMPD Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit would like to thank the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Probation and Parole and especially the CMPD Crime Lab-DNA Section for their assistance with this case.

CMPD Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit Makes Arrest

Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit have arrested Carl Rayfette Harrison for a rape that occurred in September of 1991.

On September 4, 1991, a 23 yr old female accepted a ride from two men on Rozzelles Ferry Rd. The men drove her to a dead end street where she was forcibly raped at knifepoint. The victim was able to get away and run towards a nearby house.

The residents of the house heard her screaming and saw the two suspects struggling with her attempting to force her back into the vehicle. When the suspects saw the witness they let the victim go and fled in a Blue Buick with rust spots.

Physical evidence recovered and processed by CMPD’s Crime Lab at the request of the CMPD Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit established Mr. Harrison as one of the suspects in this rape. Mr. Harrison is currently registered as a Sex Offender from an unrelated 1992 First Degree Rape conviction.

Mr. Harrison was arrested yesterday, June 29, 2010 and charged with two counts of 1st degree rape from the 1991 case. He is currently in the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with additional information related to this case or any other cold case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

The CMPD Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit has investigated 520 cases since its inception in 2006 and has solved 93.

CMPD Detectives Investigating Robbery and Sexual Assault

UPDATE: Police have released the following composite sketches for the three suspects involved in the sexual assault and robbery. The photo where the mouth area is incomplete is due to the fact that the suspect was wearing a bandana, which covered his mouth area.

Detectives have determined that this incident was not a random act of violence and that at least one of the two male friends of the victim, who were inside the residence at the time of the assault, was targeted due to prior involvement in illegal activity. One of these males was subsequently arrested and charged with drug violations.
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Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Robbery Unit and Special Victims Division are conducting an investigation into the robbery and sexual assault of a woman at her residence on Farm Pond Lane in the Hickory Grove Division. There were a total of three individuals in the residence at the time of the offense. The call for service came in at 7:37 a.m.

According to CMPD, Hickory Grove Division officers responded to the call for service placed by the sister of the victim. A resident stated that two black males entered the residence through a back window. Once inside the residence, one of the suspects forced two of the occupants into a closet. The third suspect was let in by one of the suspects through the front door. Two of the suspects took the victim out of the closet and sexually assaulted her, while the other suspect vandalized and removed items from the residence.

All three suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction of travel and by an unknown method of travel. The suspects are described as follows:

* Suspect 1: B/M, dark skinned, 6’2-6’3 in height, 23-24 yrs of age, wearing dark clothing
* Suspect 2: B/M, 5’10, long hair, skinny, dark loose clothing, with a shirt over his face
* Suspect 3: B/M, medium build, round face, wearing black shades, short hair, with a baseball hat.

The CMPD Crime Scene Unit responded to the scene to photograph and collect physical evidence. The K-9 Unit responded to the scene to aid patrol officers in their search for the suspects.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a homicide detective. Detective J. Bumgarner is the lead detective assigned to the case. In addition, you may also call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. Anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest of the suspect is eligible for a cash reward up to $1,000.