Huntsville City Council Member Pleads Guilty in Shoplifting Case; Banned From Walmart

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama metropolis councilman pleaded responsible Tuesday to 2 counts of misdemeanor shoplifting.

Huntsville Metropolis Council member Devyn Keith, who’s in his second time period, agreed to a plea deal simply as his trial was set to start Tuesday afternoon.

Keith, 34, was arrested in February and was charged with 4 counts of shoplifting. He stole merchandise from three totally different Walmart shops in Huntsville, police mentioned. Two expenses have been dropped as a part of the deal and Keith can pay almost $465 restitution for the quantity from all 4 circumstances, information retailers reported.

Madison County District Decide Patty Demos gave Keith a 90-day suspended sentence and two years probation for the primary cost. For the second cost, Keith was given a 180-day suspended sentence and 50 hours of group service. He’s additionally completely banned from Walmart.

Tim Gann, chief deputy district legal professional, mentioned after the listening to that Keith obtained the identical therapy as another particular person charged with shoplifting.

Gann defined that if Keith finishes his probation with none violations, he is not going to go to jail. If Keith violates his probation in the course of the two years then the suspended sentence will take impact and he’ll go to jail.

“Accountability is necessary to me,” Keith learn as a part of a prolonged assertion following the listening to. “I’ve nothing however respect in direction of the State and Walmart representatives. Now, the settlement that was reached right this moment acknowledges that I used to be negligent, and I used to be careless in scanning gadgets, and that, in truth, makes me mistaken.”

He was first elected to the Huntsville Metropolis Council in October 2016 and was reelected in 2020. It’s not instantly clear how or if the responsible plea will have an effect on Keith’s future on the council.

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