Michigan couple cuts deal on ID selling charges

Lady justice has proven to be color blind in at least two recent Whitley County court cases involving completely different defendants in separate cases, but very similar allegations and outcomes.
Over the course of two weeks, a black couple from Detroit, and a 20-year-old white man from Williamsburg entered guilty pleas to a less serious offense involving drivers licenses and received probated jail time in each case.
A Whitley County Grand Jury indicted Deandre C. Taylor, 27, and Ebony L. Garrison, 23, both of Detroit, for trafficking in stolen identities Monday morning.
At their arraignment early Monday afternoon, the couple pleaded guilty to an amended charge of improper use of an ID, which is a class ‘B’ misdemeanor.
Judge Paul Braden sentenced them to 90 days in jail, but agreed to conditionally discharge the jail sentence for two years.
This means that if the couple has no further run-ins with the law, then they won’t have to serve the jail sentence.
He also ordered each of them to pay $128.50 in court costs.
On Oct. 9, authorities were dispatched to the Cumberland Falls Highway area to investigate a verbal domestic complaint.
Corbin Police Officer David Maiden said when he arrived, Taylor was trying to coax Garrison back into the 2005 Dodge Ram pickup the couple had been traveling in. Apparently, they’d had a fight before police arrived.
Taylor was originally arrested for driving with no license. When police searched the truck, they found 14 Michigan identification cards and driver’s licenses belonging to different people.
“We looked in the glovebox and there was a little black address book in there with some items belonging to Garrison,” Maiden said. “Inside that we found the IDs and licenses.”
Taylor originally told police his name was Philip Curtis. After being fingerprinted at the police station, he was properly identified, and local police learned he was wanted in Michigan for non-residential burglary.
“We feel it was a good resolution concerning the facts,” said Taylor’s attorney, Paul Croley.
The plea came 11 days after Circuit Court Clerk Gary Barton’s son, Brett Barton, also pleaded guilty to prohibited use of a license, which is also a class ‘B’ misdemeanor. He was originally charged with trafficking in stolen identities.
Brett Barton, 20, also received a 90-day jail sentence that was conditionally discharged for two years.
Special Judge John Knox Mills ordered him to pay $128.50 in court costs, a $250 fine, and ordered him to perform 75 hours of community service as part of his plea agreement.
Neither Taylor nor Garrison were ordered to perform community service, or pay a fine.
Brett Barton was taken into custody by Corbin police following a traffic stop on Cumberland Falls Highway about 3 a.m. on Oct. 22.
Barton was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Ryan Brodecker, 24, also of Williamsburg, who was also arrested and charged with third-offense DUI, careless driving, and driving on a DUI suspended license.
Barton was initially only arrested for alcohol intoxication, but a search of the vehicle led to the more serious identity trafficking charge. Police found eight Kentucky driver’s licenses in the passenger floorboard behind the seat, then discovered 11 more in a DVD case. Two additional driver’s licenses were discovered in the center console.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble said he felt he had good evidence in the Taylor-Garrison case, but because of the incident with Barton’s son and his plea bargain that he felt like a similar plea was appropriate in this case.
“I felt like that fairness dictated that we give similar treatment,” Trimble said. “The case was a good solid case. The officer did a good job. This was my decision based upon fairness.
“I don’t think the officer agrees with it. I understand why he doesn’t. From my standpoint, I believe that fairness dictates that both parties be treated similarly.”