The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
Dwayne Waden, pastor of Elevated Life International Ministries in High Point, North Carolina, stands accused of assaulting a man and trying to shove his face in a fryer at a local McDonald’s where his wife works.
A workplace conflict allegedly ended in assault and the arrest of a High Point, North Carolina, pastor, according to police records.
57-year-old Pastor Dwayne Waden said it all started when his wife got a job at the McDonald’s on South Main Street in High Point back in May.
Latoya Waden complained to her husband on Thursday that employees were disrespecting her, according to a police report, and he came to his wife’s workplace.
“She went to the back to get her keys. When she went to the back to get her keys, a gentleman came from behind, which was a manager, mouthing off at me and disrespecting my wife,” Dwayne said. “I approached him and said, ‘What you’re not going to do is disrespect my wife in front of me.’”
A police report states Dwayne then allegedly pushed the worker’s head toward the deep fryer and punched him in the face. It also states several employees had to pull Waden off the victim, who “suffered a large contusion to the forehead and right eye, along with scratches on his neck.”
“When I did that he got in my face when he got in my face I pushed him, and when I pushed him he grabbed me so when he grabbed me, we went to tussling and stuff of that nature and the floor was real slippery, so I kind of bear hug him, and when I bear hug him, he punched me in the back of my head. When he punched me in the back of my head, I commenced to swinging,” Dwayne said.
Officers were able to see footage from a surveillance video of the altercation. Dwayne, whose Facebook profile identifies him as pastor of Elevated Life International Ministries and a semi-truck driver, was arrested on a charge of assault and released on a $1,000 bond.
“My intent was to get my wife, and leave, and get out of that environment,” Dwayne said.
Dwayne said he regrets how far things went.
“This is a learning experience going forward. Don’t let people pull you into their chaos moving forward – just walk away,” he said.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
In 2018, Anthony Morris, pastor of St. Paul’s AME Zion Church in Toledo, Ohio, along with his wife (Zelda) and daughter (Kamali), were charged with aggravated robbery.
A downtown Toledo pastor and his family are accused of robbing a Sunday school teacher at the church over the weekend.
St. Paul’s AME Zion Church Pastor Anthony Morris, 49, along with his wife, Zelda Morris, 46, and 19-year-old daughter Kamali Morris, are each charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, a first-degree felony.
Nickema Turner, 39, of Maumee was teaching Sunday school at the church, 954 Belmont Ave., when the younger woman grabbed her by the hair, according to a Toledo police report.
Mrs. Morris then began punching Ms. Turner, police said. The pastor also pushed Ms. Turner to the ground, according to the police report.
During the assault, Mrs. Morris is accused of dumping items from Ms. Turner’s purse and taking them.
Ms. Turner attempted to recover her belongings when Mr. Morris allegedly pulled out a gun and pointed it at her, police said. The woman told police the pastor threatened to kill her.
Two prescription bottles, a Taser, and a cell phone were taken from Ms. Turner’s purse, according to the police report. The cell phone was recovered, but the glass was broken.
The Morris family, who reside in the 3000 block of Evergreen Road, fled the church before police arrived. The couple have been arrested, though the daughter has yet to be located, according to Toledo police.
According to The Christian Post, the charges against the trio were reduced. Anthony Morris was sentenced for assault; his wife, Zelda Morris was sentenced for criminal damaging/endangering, and their daughter, Kamali Morris was sentenced for disorderly conduct. Pastor Morris was given one-year probation. The other two were sentenced to a diversion program.
An Ohio pastor, his wife and daughter who were initially accused of robbing a Sunday school teacher and then fleeing their church minutes before the start of a worship service in February, were all sentenced Monday as it was revealed that the incident was triggered by an affair.
Pastor Anthony Morris, 49, of St. Paul’s AME Zion Church in Toledo, was sentenced for assault; his wife, Zelda Morris, 46, was sentenced for criminal damaging/endangering, and their daughter, Kamali Morris, 19, was sentenced for disorderly conduct, according to The Blade.
“I’m just sorry for my involvement, but the truth is out there,” Kamali Morris said, according to WTOL 11. “It came to surface, and I just thank God for that. That’s all I have to say.”
When the case was first reported in February, the Sunday school teacher, Nickema Turner, 39, of Maumee, who did not appear in court on Monday, reported the incident as a robbery during which the pastor’s daughter grabbed her by the hair as she taught Sunday school at the church. The pastor allegedly pushed Turner to the ground as his wife punched her. Zelda Morris was also accused of dumping items from Turner’s purse and taking them.
When Turner attempted to recover her belongings, Pastor Morris, with whom she’d had an affair, allegedly pulled out a gun, pointed it at her and threatened to kill her.
On Monday, Toledo Municipal Court Judge Amy Berling sentenced the pastor to one year of probation and ordered him to have no contact with Turner, The Blade said. His wife and daughter were each sentenced to six-week alternative programs.
Ronnie Wingate, a lawyer for both Zelda Morris and her daughter, revealed in a new narrative Monday that days before the church incident his client began receiving taunting text messages about her husband’s affair.
One of the first messages stated: “Your husband is having an affair with a member of the church.” The pastor’s wife was further called “stupid” for being in the dark about her husband’s infidelity.
The pastor’s attorney, Neil McElroy, told the court that Zelda Morris confronted her husband, and he “confessed and discussed the matter with his wife.”
On Feb. 18, the lawyers revealed, Zelda Morris and her daughter went to the basement of the church where Turner was teaching and a confrontation erupted.
“An argument ensued and the alleged victim became aggressive. At this point Ms. Kamali Morris stepped in to defend and prevent her mother from being assaulted by this complainant. A fight ensued,” Wingate said.
Members of the congregation rushed to the basement to break up the fight between the women. Wingate said once the fight ended, the pastor and his family tried to leave, but as they were walking to the door, Turner allegedly grabbed a metal instrument from the church’s kitchen and attacked them.
“Mr. Morris, who has a concealed-carry permit for protection of his own family, protection of his parishioners, had his firearm with him that day,” McElroy explained. “When the complainant came at them with all he knew was something from the kitchen that was metallic, he did in fact pull his weapon. He acknowledged that.”
McElroy said the gun was not loaded and no shots were fired. Turner backed down but she later filed a police report which resulted in the initial felony charges against the pastor and his family.
The pastor told the judge that he and his wife will be staying together. Elders at his church have also agreed to allow him to seek employment elsewhere.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
In July 2019, Todd Spain, Jr, a youth pastor at Crossroads Church in Pelham, New Hampshire, was accused of coaxing his wife to ledge while they were out hiking and hitting her over the head with a rock. Allegedly, the couple had been arguing over Spain’s admission of an affair.
Pelham resident Todd Spain Jr., 26, was indicted in Carroll County Superior Court last month for second-degree assault, according to a court clerk. He is also charged with two misdemeanor counts of domestic violence simple assault, the clerk said.
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A probable cause affidavit written by Carroll County Sheriff’s Detective Brian King says the assault took place Saturday, July 6.
King said in his report that Spain’s wife, Molly Spain, called police for help from the Boulder Loop Trail in Albany, New Hampshire, at about 3 p.m. She told police that she would be running down the mountain to meet emergency responders.
“She stated that she and Todd got into an argument after he admitted to having an affair,” King’s report states. “When she turned to leave the mountain, she was struck in the back of the head with a rock. She said that she fell to the ground, and that Todd fell on top of her.”
According to the affidavit, “She said that she had to kick and punch him to get him off of her. She suffered apparent minor injuries. She was transported to Memorial Hospital in Conway, New Hampshire.”
At the hospital, she told police she was “in fear of her life,” according to the affidavit.
The affidavit states Spain kept insisting that his wife go with him to the edge of one of the cliffs along the trail.
According to the affidavit, the victim said, “I thought he was going to push me off the edge and kill me.”
She also told police Spain kept putting his arm around her neck and asking what she would do if he choked her, but he never actually did.
Spain’s suggestion to go on a hike was odd from the get-go, according to the affidavit.
“Todd is not active, and has never wanted to hike or do anything outside in the past,” King reported the wife saying.
The victim was granted an emergency restraining order, according to the document.
King wrote that Spain admitted to police that he hit his wife in the head with the rock and gave written and audio statements to that effect.
Spain’s father, Todd, Sr is the pastor of Crossroads Church. (Nepotism is common in Evangelical churches.) After his arrest, Todd, Jr. resigned or was fired from his position at the church. His father denies that there is any connection between his son’s alleged crime and employment termination.
Todd Spain Jr., a former youth minister at Crossroads Church indicted for assaulting his wife, avoided a jury trial scheduled to start last week as his attorney and a prosecutor explore settlement options.
Deputy Carroll County Attorney Steven Briden filed paperwork on Feb. 19, the day before trial was set to begin, to inform a judge that both parties would like to participate in a settlement conference.
Briden explained that settlement conferences are frequently “a useful tool in trying to find a resolution to a case without having to put everyone through the difficulties of a trial.”
Briden, Spain Jr. and his attorney Kirsten Wilson will meet with retired Judge Peter Fauver, who will evaluate the case and try to see if a plea resolution can be found without going to trial.
They are scheduled to meet March 4, according to court documents. If a decision is not made that day, a trial will begin soon after.
After Spain, Jr. was arrested, former leaders at Crossroads accused him of sending their daughter sexually explicit texts in 2013.
News of the arrest incited memories of a 2013 situation involving Spain Jr., who was 19 at the time, and a 14-year-old girl who regularly attended a Crossroads youth group.
According to Michele and Ken Woonton, the girl’s parents, their daughter received sexual text messages from Spain Jr. when she was a minor. She responded, they said, but quickly became uncomfortable and brought the messages to the attention of church staff.
The Woontons said they were told by Spain Sr. that his son’s behavior was the result of a pornography addiction. He was sent to a family member’s house in the South “to heal” for several weeks, the family recalls.
The couple said they were disturbed when Spain Jr. came home to Pelham and his dad, the pastor, had the idea to appoint his son to lead middle and high school-aged kids in the youth ministry.
The Woontons went to police about the text messages, they said, but were told no crime had been committed.
At the family’s request, police would have gone to talk to Spain Jr., they said. But the family declined.
Pelham police Chief Joseph Roark said there is no record of the call and there are no other complaints involving Spain Jr.
Two other couples in leadership positions at the time have confirmed the Woonton’s account of what happened six years ago, including how the Spain family kept it concealed from the general church population and went against all of their wishes to keep Spain Jr. away from kids.
Several attempts to contact the Spains or anyone at Crossroads Church have been unsuccessful.
“Our coming forward is about transparency,” Ken Woonton said. “This is not about a church. This is not about religion. It’s about leadership. There are going to be members of that congregation that want to defend it. But we want to empower them to question their leadership about whether they’re protecting their children.”
At the time of the February 2013 incident with his daughter, Ken Woonton was a church trustee. His family was involved at Crossroads since its inception in 2001.
“When Todd Jr. came home and his father approached my husband about making him a youth leader, that was the beginning of the end for us,” said Michelle Woonton. “It was insane.”
On September 11, 2019, Crossroads Church released the following statement:
There was an article in a local paper about a youth minister of this church. We cannot comment on the personal and legal issues involving Todd Spain Jr. and his wife. We can state that Todd Spain Jr. is no longer employed by the church for reasons other than the legal charges mentioned in the article. His employment ended on Monday July 8th. Unfortunately, we cannot provide details of confidential employment issues. Crossroads remains committed to providing spiritual guidance to all of its members and we pray for the wellness of those involved in this situation.
This is the first and last statement released by the church.
The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
Wilmer Cruz, pastor of Inglesia Cristiana Evangelica Church in Lilburn,Georgia, was arrested Tuesday after he and his wife and two children assaulted police officers looking for a runaway teenager. His wife and two sons were also arrested. According to one news report, the runaway was pregnant by one of Pastor Cruz’s sons.
A minister in Lilburn, Georgia was arrested alongside his wife and sons after they attacked police officers at church.
Atlanta’s WSB-TV reported Tuesday that police in the Gwinnett County church were looking for a runaway teenager who was said to be at the Inglesia Cristiana Evangelica Church when an altercation ensued.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Wilmer and Cristina Cruz, the minister and his wife of the church, were arrested along with their 16 and 17-year-old sons after not cooperating with the officers who came to the church looking for the missing girl, who was later returned to her parents. In the ensuing fight, Cristina Cruz took one of the two officers’ Tasers, and Wilmer and one of their sons pinned an officer against a door.
The parents and their eldest son were charged as adults and are being held without bond, while the 16-year-old son was charged as a juvenile.
“I’ve never seen something that could have been so innocent escalate so quickly because of lack of cooperation,” Lilburn police Lt. Tim Allen told Channel 2.
Authorities said they got a call about a missing girl in the 4800 block of Lawrenceville Highway. They went to rescue the girl, who was in a tan Cadillac Escalade, but things escalated.
“As the officers walked toward the vehicle, several people approached the officers,” Chief Bruce Hedley said in a statement. “Officers repeatedly instructed people to stand back and continued to attempt to speak to the missing juvenile in the parked car.”
Hedley said onlookers didn’t listen, leading to an altercation. Some officers were kicked and choked, he said.
At one point, when an officer put his Taser in Wilmer Cruz’s back, Cristina Cruz grabbed it from the officer’s hand and pointed it at him, video obtained by Channel 2 shows. After Cristina Cruz was arrested, Wilmer Cruz and Wilmer Cruz Jr. were seen pinning an officer against a door. One of the sons was also seen on video taking an officer’s radio.
“At some point during the scuffle, the other officer tried to call for backup but couldn’t because (someone) was on the radio talking on it,” Allen said.
As for the missing girl, she was returned to her mother.
“They had my daughter. They won’t let her have communication with me,” the mother told Channel 2. “The lady at the church was yelling at me. They said they had custody from (the Division of Family and Children Services) but it’s not true.”
WSB adds:
A temporary restraining order was issued for a Gwinnett County minister’s wife a week before she was seen on video brawling with police officers during a missing child rescue, court documents show.
Ana Cardenas Robles filed for the order against Cristina Cruz on March 19, alleging the minister’s wife stalked her and threatened her with deportation and refused to let her have contact with her teenage daughter.
Robles told the court the Cruz family took her daughter, who is pregnant by one of their sons. The family told Channel 2 Action News that the Division of Family and Children Services granted them guardianship.
A restraining order was also filed against Wilmer Cruz, but it was dismissed by a judge, according to court records.
Cristina Cruz is not allowed within 200 feet of Robles, according to the order. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
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An April 3, 2018 Atlanta Journal-Constitution report adds:
When a Lilburn police officer responded to a missing person rescue call at a church last month, he had no idea he’d practically be fighting for his life.
“I was slammed against the glass door, hitting my head very hard against the glass,” Sgt. Ryan Long said in at a preliminary hearing for the Cruz family on Tuesday. “Mr. (Wilmer) Cruz was choking me to the point I couldn’t breathe.”
On March 25, Long and several other officers fought with Cruz, 38, his wife Cristina Cruz and their 17-year-old son Wilmer Cruz Jr. in the parking lot of the family’s church, Iglesia Cristiana Evangelica. The brawl was caught on police body cameras and cellphones.
Authorities said they got a call about a missing girl in the 4800 block of Lawrenceville Highway. They went to rescue the girl, who was in a tan Cadillac Escalade, but things escalated.
Long testified he put his Taser in Wilmer Cruz’s back, but Cristina Cruz grabbed it from his hand and pointed it at the officer.
“I grabbed Mrs. Cruz by the arm and told her she was under arrest for grabbing my Taser,” Long said. “She refused and would only say: ‘Jesus love(s) me.’”
After Cristina Cruz was arrested, Wilmer Cruz and Wilmer Cruz Jr. were seen in the video pinning Long against a door, the officer testified. One of the sons was also seen on video taking an officer’s radio.
Long testified the family likely fought back because they believed: “Officers were not allowed to fight back against them.” The family also threatened to kill his mom, Long said.
The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
Last Sunday, Audrey Stevenson, a volunteer at The Potter’s House in Fort Worth, Texas, was physically assaulted by a church security officer. While no criminal charges have been filed, the officer in question could face charges at a later date. Please listen to the video at the bottom of this post. It allows people to see what happens behind the scenes at many megachurches. Personally, I found the video disturbing.
Bishop T.D. Jakes, senior pastor of The Potter’s House megachurch in Dallas, Texas, offered an apology Tuesday to a 22-year-old former female volunteer who was physically assaulted and held against her will at the church’s Fort Worth campus on Sunday.
The assault was captured on video, which has gone viral with over 3 million views. It stemmed from a dispute about whether the volunteer, Audrey Stevenson, was allowed to be on the Forth Worth church stage.
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Stevenson had a verbal confrontation with church elder and administrator Rhonda Lewis, who indicated that the volunteer was not authorized to “do anything on the stage” and that she had been removed from service.
A viral partial recording of the dispute made by Stevenson published on Facebook, shows her being blocked by church safety officer Brandon Amie when she tried to leave an office at the church after a discussion between her and Lewis had escalated into a shouting match. She was then handcuffed and restrained as she begged Amie to let her leave.
At one point, she indicated that Amie had his knee in her back as she continued begging him to let her go. Amie explained in the video that he was trying to “explain something” to her about how the church systems work.
In his statement Tuesday, Jakes concluded that despite the nature of the dispute, he was disappointed by the treatment meted out to Stevenson.
“While many of the extenuating circumstances are not shown in the video that was published March 25, 2018, this still does not justify the lack of professionalism exhibited by the safety officer we require and expect from all of our employees. Emotions quickly escalated and a complete breakdown of communication occurred resulting in what played out on video,” Jakes said. “I’m extremely disappointed and apologize for how Ms. Stevenson was treated and the ill-conduct she received. Privately, we will be reaching out to Ms. Stevenson to offer her the apology she rightly deserves.”
He also explained that even though Amie’s prior work with the church had been “positive,” his future employment is now in limbo.
“The safety officer in question’s tenure with us has been a positive one, this unfortunate incident however has endangered his continuance with our ministry pending the outcome of a comprehensive review which is consistent with our protocols,” Jakes said.
Keith Haskell, pastor of Bridges of Hope Community Church in Owatonna, Minnesota, has been charged with five counts of misdemeanor fifth degree assault, impersonating a peace officer, and felony use of tear gas to immobilize.
A pastor in southern Minnesota is facing charges for pretending to be a police officer and pepper spraying a teenager he caught shoplifting.
Keith Douglas Haskell, 55, faces five counts of misdemeanor fifth degree assault, in addition to the charge or impersonating a peace officer and felony use of tear gas to immobilize.
“I think he got what he deserves,” said Abraam Rodriguez, one of the teenagers at the center of the case.
Rodriguez said on Sept. 4, he and his cousin went to the Cash Wise grocery store. He admits his cousin shoplifted about $10 in snacks. In the documents, Haskell told officers he saw the teenagers grab cereal and fruit snacks without paying. He said he went outside to write down their license plate, then followed them when they left.
Rodriquez said he pulled his SUV into a nearby apartment parking lot because he didn’t want Haskell to know exactly where he lived.
According to the court documents, witnesses who live near the scene told investigators they could hear Haskell identifying himself out loud as a police officer and trying to pull the teenagers out of the SUV. Haskell is a pastor at Bridges of Hope Community Church.
“He’s like, ‘Put your hands up, put your hands up, I’m a cop. I need you to get out the vehicle,’” Rodriguez said.
In the documents, Rodriguez told officers his cousin swung at Haskell because the pastor aggressively pulled him out of the SUV. Haskell said he then pepper sprayed the teenager in self-defense.
When his cousin ran off, Rodriguez said he stayed put in the driver’s seat.
“I thought he was a police officer, that’s why I didn’t do anything,” Rodriguez said. “I’m not going to not follow orders of a cop.”
In the documents, Rodriguez told investigators that Haskell took his car keys from him and tried to take his cell phone away. Rodriguez was on the phone with him mom to call for help when he said he was pulled out of the SUV by Haskell.
When his mother came outside, she told officers at the scene Haskell had her son pinned up against the SUV. In the documents, Haskell admitted to police he was holding a baton at the time. He told officers that he told the teens he was trying to make a citizen’s arrest.
“I was actually pretty scared because if he was a cop and you see all those videos of cops, police brutality and stuff,” Rodriguez said.
Police took a can of pepper spray and a baton as evidence. When asked for a comment, Haskell referred WCCO to his attorney, Chris Ritts, who released a statement saying: “The police investigation is absurd and flawed. My client was the victim. We will fight these allegations in the courts.”
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In an article titled, What Would Jesus Do to a Teenage Shoplifter, the City Pages reports:
Probably not what Keith Haskell is accused of doing. Haskell, 55, and a pastor at Bridges of Hope Community Church in Owatonna, faces numerous criminal charges for his ham-fisted attempt at vigilante justice against two criminals.
The perps in question? Two teenage boys, one of whom was trying to shoplift $10 worth of snacks from a Cash Wise grocery store.
The incident occurred on September 4, WCCO reports, when Haskell spotted the shoplifter pocket “cereal and fruit snacks without paying.” According to the Steele County Attorney criminal complaint against Haskell, the pastor went out to the parking lot to take down the license plate of the teens’ vehicle.
Haskell also followed the teenagers, who pulled into the parking lot of an apartment building, at which point Haskell approached, identified himself as a police officer, and told them to put their hands up. According to Abraam Rodriguez, one of the two boys involved, Haskell roughly grabbed for his cousin, the one who’d stolen the snacks.
The boy took a swing at Haskell, who responded by pepper-spraying him before he ran off. Haskell says he used the pepper-spray in self defense, but he’s facing a charge of unlawfully using of tear gas, a felony.
By that time, Rodriguez had used his cellphone called his mom for help. When she arrived, she found Haskell, who was holding a baton, had pinned Abraam against his SUV. Haskell would later tell police he was merely trying to execute a citizen’s arrest of the teenager.
Rodriguez, for his part, says he wishes Haskell had done the easier thing and called the actual cops.
“If I were to be in his shoes or whatever, I wouldn’t chase after people that stole candy from a store,” Rodriguez told WCCO.
Haskell faces five counts of misdemeanor assault, one of impersonating a peace officer, plus the felony tear gas charge. Haskell is due in court November 30. His defense attorney Chris Ritts told the station the charges have the whole situation flipped around.
“The police investigation is absurd and flawed,” Ritts says. “My client was the victim.”
Donna Buttarazzi, a reporter for Sea Coast Online, reports:
A former high school tennis coach and current pastor of Wells Branch Baptist Church (also known as Trinity Coastal Community Church) was found guilty by a jury in York County Superior Court Thursday of an assault against a 15-year-old girl that took place at a Sanford McDonald’s in October 2016.
Peter W. Leon of Wells was charged with assault against a minor, a Class D misdemeanor, for touching the girl’s back and allegedly making sexual comments to the Sanford girl at the restaurant last fall. The two did not know each other prior to the incident.
Leon was sentenced Friday afternoon to 60 days in jail and a mandatory $300 fine. Judge Deborah Cashman suspended all 60 days, meaning Leon will not serve any jail time as long as he meets all sentencing requirements. Cashman ordered Leon to participate in counseling, including formal training on sexual harassment, and ordered that he have no contact with the victim or her family.
The trial began Thursday morning and ran all day, with closing arguments from both attorneys beginning around 3 p.m. The jury deliberated for roughly two hours before reaching a verdict just before 6 p.m.
The jury found Leon guilty of offensive physical contact which is defined under Maine law as “knowingly intending bodily contact or unlawful touching done in such a manner as would reasonably be expected to violate the person or dignity of the victim.”
Prosecuting attorney Susan Pope said she was pleased with Cashman’s sentencing.
“I’m pleased with the sentence. I think the judge got it right,” Pope said following the sentencing.
In her opening arguments during the trial Thursday Pope said Leon entered the Sanford south McDonald’s at 1439 Main St. around 3:30 p.m. on the afternoon of Oct. 24, 2016 and approached the girl, placed his hand on her back and said, “These jeans are looking pretty good on you, they are nice and tight in all the right places. Trust me, they look good.”
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Leon pleaded not guilty to the charge. His attorney Amy Fairfield said in court Thursday morning that her client put his hand on the girl’s shoulder and asked her if she was in line.
Leon testified that he wasn’t sure if the girl was in line and he didn’t want to cut in front of her. He denied saying the comments about the girls jeans.
“It was so quick in and out of the restaurant, and I didn’t want to cut the line. I was making a comment and I used the word ‘dungarees,’ and then I said jeans. I didn’t think it was derogatory. I didn’t know how she could get those jeans on at the ankle they were so tight fitted,” Leon said in his testimony Thursday.
The 12-member jury of five men and seven women viewed a surveillance video from the McDonald’s restaurant several times during the trial. In it a man confirmed to be Leon entered the restaurant, approached the girl and appeared to speak to her and touch her on the back or shoulder area. Shortly after the incident the girl can be seen leaving the restaurant and her mother entered and confronted Leon.
The girl’s mother had been waiting in the car while her daughter went in to get food. She received a text and phone call from her daughter while she was waiting.
“I thought she needed more money, so I grabbed my wallet, and I got out of the car to go in. Before I touched the door to the restaurant, she came out crying. She said this man had touched her and talked really dirty to her. I said ‘what man?’ and she pointed to him (Leon).”
Sanford Police officer Sarah Howe testified that the girl’s mother called 911 from the restaurant. Howe said she spoke with the mother who gave her a license plate number of the car Leon left in. Howe also testified that she spoke with the girl following the incident, and she was clearly upset over the phone.
Howe spoke with Leon the day after the incident via telephone and he said he didn’t recall his exact words to the girl.
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Leon is a former tennis coach for both boys and girls at Wells High School and he coached girls tennis in 2016 at Kennebunk High School for one year. Fairfield said that following his indictment last fall, both schools told Leon he could no longer coach.
In 2001, Leon was charged with witness tampering.
The Sea Coast Online reported at the time:
Leon, who is the current president of the Wells Rotary Club, is not a newcomer to serving in public office. Before moving to Wells, he was the minister at the First Congregational Church of Machias. In 1998 he was elected to the Calais School Committee. Leon was unable to serve the full three-year term due to being recalled in a special recall election in July 1999.
Leon took out nomination papers again in 2001 while under indictment by a grand jury for witness tampering. According to press reports, Leon had been hired by the Calais school system to tutor Michael Poole, a student that had been suspended after criminal charges were filed against him for $30,000 worth of damages to school property.
Leon was charged with witness tampering in 2001 after police taped a conversation he had with an inmate, Justin McVay, that had also been accused of vandalizing the school, articles state. According to the Bangor Daily News, Leon was indicted for attempting to coerce McVay to admit that Poole had nothing to do with the school vandalism.
Leon went to trial in April 2002 and was found not guilty.
