Plea agreements were reached in several high profile cases in Criminal Court Monday.

Three defendants of the five remaining defendants in the sexual assault case at United Wheel pleaded guilty to some of their charges while one defendant had his case dismissed and another agreed to a pre-trial diversion.

Six United Wheel employees or former employees, including a former manager, were indicted more than a year ago in connection with an assault at the Sweetwater plant on March 14, 2007 and a subsequent cover up, police said.

What started out as a cruel and crude prank was compounded by the suspects’ lies to police about the alleged incident, Sweetwater Police Detective John Scruggs said. 

According to Scruggs, the alleged victim, a 39-year-old Sweetwater man, was tied up with duct tape and industrial shrink wrap while one of the suspects pulled his own pants down and sat on the bound man’s face. Scruggs, who worked closely with the district attorney’s office on the case, said some of the men threw metal wheel weights at the victim during his ordeal.

Manager Daniel Roberts 31, Wright Street, Sweetwater, was originally charged with criminal responsibility, false imprisonment, assault and filing a false report.

He pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and assault, according to court records.

Roberts will be on probation for nearly a year after serving 10 days for the assault charge. He is to report to jail Sept. 1.

Roberts is to begin an 11-month, 29-day probation period immediately for the false imprisonment conviction.

The criminal responsibility charge and the false report charge against Roberts were both dismissed.

Brian Hinds, 44, Steekee Creek Road, Loudon, was charged with assault and filing a false report.

On Monday, Hinds pleaded guilty to the assault charge and beginning Aug. 30 will serve 10 days and jail and will spend nearly a year on probation after serving the time.

John “Tippy” Armstrong, 50, Edwards Road, Madisonville, was charged in a grand jury indictment with filing a false report. His charge was dismissed.

John C. Burris, 23, New Highway 68, Madisonville, was charged with false imprisonment for his alleged role in tying up the victim against his will, assault and filing a false report.

Burris agreed to a pre-trial diversion and his case will be dismissed if he stays out of trouble for two years.

Bobby Thompson, 28, County Road 298, Sweetwater, was charged with sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment and filing a false report.

He pleaded guilty Monday to false imprisonment and assault.

Thompson will serve 10 days in jail beginning Aug. 30 then will be on probation for almost a year for the assault conviction.

He also will have an 11-month, 29-day probation period for his false imprisonment conviction.

The sexual assault charge and false report charge were both dismissed against Thompson.

Another defendant, Joe Fogle, 30, Community Drive, Madisonville pleaded guilty to assault in the case earlier this year.

tommy.millsaps@advocateanddemocrat.com | 337-7101