Two sentenced to 10 years in theft of nearly $20,000 from elderly Rankin County resident
RANKIN COUNTY, Mississippi — Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that Byron Gage Tatum, 26, and Chesney Lynn Stanley, 23, pleaded guilty to one count each of grand larceny and were sentenced after a case involving an elderly victim.
Fitch’s office said the pair stole nearly $20,000 from the victim. On Feb. 24, Rankin County Circuit Court Judge Dewey Arthur sentenced both Tatum and Stanley to 10 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with one year to serve. The remaining time was suspended, and each was ordered to serve five years of supervised release followed by four years of unsupervised probation.
The two were ordered to pay $18,570.40 in restitution and $500 to the Crime Victim Compensation Fund, according to the attorney general’s office. The case was investigated and prosecuted by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.
“Preying on senior citizens, who need and deserve our extra care and protection, will not be tolerated,” Fitch said in a statement. “I am proud of the diligent work of our investigators and prosecutors who ensured that justice was served in this case.” Grand larceny is a felony offense, and prosecutions involving elderly victims often receive heightened attention from law enforcement and prosecutors.
This is a developing matter; we will provide more information as it becomes available.
