Don’t attempt to scam the state of Tennessee when it comes to paying taxes.

That’s the message from Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk and the Tennessee Department of Revenue.  The two agencies teamed up earlier this year to indict and arrest Paul E. Cox, the owner of Southeast Automotive in Nashville, on 6 felony counts of tax evasion and one count of theft over a quarter of million dollars.   The indictments allege Cox falsified monthly sales tax returns and knowingly failed to remit sale tax of more than $250,000 to the TN Dept. of Revenue.   If convicted, Cox could face more than 25 years in prison and close to $100,000 in fines.

If you suspect violations of Tennessee’s revenue laws, call the toll free state tax fraud hot line at (800) FRAUDTX (372-8389).

The Nashville District Attorney’s office was able to bring a measure of Justice and Closure to the family of Trashai’ Siske last week.  The 28-year-old Nashville mother of two was killed in her apartment more than two years ago by her boyfriend, Ricky Johnson.

Nashville DA Criminal Court Division VI prosecutors Luis Casas and Amy Hunter, Victim Witness Coordinators Brittany Johnson and Nikanna Bell, Media Analyst Alex Pendon, and Investigator Steve Turner presented the case in Criminal Court, Division VI.  After several days of testimony and proof, the jury returned with Guilty Verdicts on charges of First Degree Premeditated Murder and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

 

The state showed that Johnson arrived at the apartment of the victim, Trashai Siske, in the pre-dawn hours of September 1, 2022.   A neighbor heard an argument, followed by several gunshots just before 4am.   A man with a black mask was seen on surveillance camera leaving the area, with Siske found later by MNPD inside the apartment, killed after being shot 8 times.   MNPD used the victim’s phone to link her to the defendant, whose car matched the vehicle seen at the apartment.  The defendant’s car was later found abandoned in Ashland City, with identifying documents and a black mask inside.

Excellent work by detectives at the Metro Nashville Police Department, electronic tracking, and the DA team’s skillful ability to piece the puzzle together resulted in a guilty verdict on both counts, and more importantly, justice for Trashai’s family.

Johnson received life behind bars without the possibility of parole.

Ricky Johnson – Defendant

 

Trashai’ Siske – Victim

 

Two teens accused of killing another teen on his front porch in Antioch in 2021 have been found guilty of first-degree murder.

E.J. Utley was 15 at the time he was killed and a freshman at Hillsboro High School.  According to police and court testimony, EJ was killed on his father’s front porch by then 16-year-old Wilton Alexander after being lured out of the home by Wilton’s girlfriend,  Trameisha Farris, who was 15 at the time.

Assistant District Attorney Jenny Charles tried the case, along with ADA’s Chantley Frazier, Wesley King, and Victim Witness Coordinator Cathy Harrison.  General Charles admits it was a hard fought trial, and she’s thankful the Utley family received a favorable verdict.

EJ Utley and Wilton Alexander had been close friends, playing basketball together growing up.  Their mothers were also close friends, and were both in court for the trial.  A unique aspect during the trial came when Detective Chad High (a Metro Police Department expert) testified that the defense attorney’s late disclosed exhibits were potentially doctored and unreliable.

The jury agreed with that assessment, as well as the other proof presented by Nashville DA’s Prosecutorial team, and took less than 3 hours to convict both defendants.  Both Alexander and Farris have been sentenced to life in prison.

Pictured below is the Nashville District Attorney’s team with EJ Utley’s family.   Also pictured are the two defendants.

A man considered by many to be the Kingpin of Nashville’s Street Racing Scene has hit the brakes, thanks to the Nashville District Attorney’s Office.

Austin Scott entered a guilty plea last week in courtroom 5D in front of Judge Melissa Blackburn.

Scott pled guilty to 4 counts of Inciting a Riot and 1 count of Reckless Driving.

Scott’s effective sentence is two 11/29 sentences suspended to supervised probation.  The terms of his probation are that he must complete a number of public safety courses, including the ADDC8 course and the Arrive Alive at 25 course, along with 48 hours of community service, and adhere to the ‘stay away’ order that prohibits him from any form of street racing activity or gathering, including through social media of any kind.

Community leaders praised the cooperation between the Metro Nashville Police Department and the District Attorney’s Vehicular Crimes Unit in the conviction.  Both agencies say the crackdown on illegal street racing and gatherings that threaten public safety will continue.

Demetriona Harper was found guilty by a Davidson County jury Friday, November 17th, 2023, on two felony counts, including Rape of Child.   The charges stem from October, 2019, when Harper was accused of raping a 12-year-old boy while she was babysitting him at The Retreat Apartments in Goodlettsville.   According to an arrest affidavit, Harper admitted she had sexual intercourse with the boy in his bedroom, and later admitted “she had let things go too far and made a mistake.”

The jury trial lasted for a full week in Criminal Court Division IV.  Nashville Assistant District Attorney Chantley Frazier prosecuted the case, along with District Attorney Glenn Funk.  It took the jury only four hours to return with guilty verdicts on all three counts:   Rape of a Child (a Class A Felony), Aggravated Sexual Battery (a Class B Felony), and Misdemeanor Assault (a Class A Misdemeanor).  Sentencing for Harper will be January 25, 2024.

Demetriona Harper – MNPD photo

STATEMENT FROM NASHVILLE DISTRICT ATTORNEY GLENN FUNK

Regarding the tragic shooting of Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig on November 7, 2023 –

On April 13, 2023, the Nashville District Attorney’s Office prosecuted Shaquille Taylor for Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon.

At a competency hearing on that date, three court appointed doctors unanimously testified that Mr. Taylor was incompetent to stand trial.  State and Federal law prohibit prosecution of persons found to be incompetent, so therefore Judge Angelita Dalton was mandated to dismiss the case.  Because the doctors did not find Mr. Taylor met the standards for involuntary commitment, he was released from custody on May 19, 2023.

Under Tennessee law, for a person to be involuntarily committed to a mental health facility, at least two doctors must have executed certificates that the person is suffering from a severe mental illness or developmental disability that causes the person to be a substantial risk of serious harm to himself or others.  The doctors must also find that there are no other less restrictive measures than commitment.

This nearly impossible standard impacts public safety.  The law must be altered to accurately balance individual needs with public safety.  At the same time Tennessee must provide more beds and staffing resources to handle dangerous individuals.

I will continue to work with the Legislature on these serious mental health issues.

 

Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk was honored to join other city leaders in welcoming Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw and other Kurdish officials to our city in early September.  Erbil has just been named Nashville’s newest sister city, befitting as Nashville has the largest Kurdish population of any city in the United States.  Erbil is the Capital of the Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq. The gathering was held at the Salahadeen Center along Nolensville Pike, in the heart of Nashville’s Kurdish Community.

 

       

The Nashville District Attorney’s office welcomes two additional staff attorneys.   Eli Cheely is a graduate of the University of Georgia and went on to attend the University of Mississippi Law School.  Mr. Cheely interned in the District Attorney’s office last summer, and was well-respected by his peers within the office.  He is now working in our General Sessions division, awaiting the results of his bar exam.   Mr. Kevin Kennedy also joins our office as Staff Attorney, awaiting the results of his bar exam as well.  Mr. Kennedy is a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School after spending time as a teacher in the Metropolitan Nashville Public School System.  Mr. Kennedy is currently assisting in our Domestic Violence division.  We welcome both of these fine attorneys to our staff.