Oak Ridge Today

Three charged with financial exploitation, theft of more than $60,000

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Johnnie Shane Munsey

Johnnie Shane Munsey

An Andersonville man and two Andersonville women have been charged with financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable person and theft of more than $60,000, according to Anderson County court records.

The three are Johnnie Shane Munsey, 46; Phyllis Joan Spradling, 71; and Tammie Jo Munsey, 42. They were indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury in Clinton on July 10. The two exploitation and theft charges are both Class B felonies.

The three defendants, who all live at the same address in Andersonville, are accused of financially exploiting an elderly or vulnerable adult between December 30, 2015, through November 1, 2017, the court records said.

And they are accused of obtaining property, including but not limited to U.S. currency valued at more than $60,000, from the victim, Jimmy Spradling, without his consent, the indictments said. [Read more…]

State asks for 10-year sentence in church theft by former commission chair

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James Michael Cox

James Michael Cox

Prosecutors have asked for a 10-year prison sentence for a former Anderson County Commission chair and retired school teacher who has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $60,000 over more than three years from a church in Rocky Top—and allegedly lost more than $37,000 of the stolen money at a casino in North Carolina.

James Michael “Mike” Cox is scheduled to be sentenced in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on Monday.

Through defense attorney Rhonda F. Lee of Powell, Cox has asked for probation.

Cox was indicted on the Class B felony charge of theft of more than $60,000 on February 2, 2016. The thefts were alleged to have occurred from Longfield Baptist Church, where Cox was church treasurer, between June 1, 2011, and December 1, 2014.

Cox entered a guilty plea on June 1, 2017. The minimum sentence is eight years probation, and the maximum is 12 years in prison, according to court documents.

In a notice filed this past Monday, the state outlined enhancing factors that should be considered by Anderson County Criminal Court Judge Donald R. Elledge when he sentences Cox on Monday, July 24. [Read more…]