HCSO deputy gets 75 days for two crash deaths
A Harnett County Sheriff's deputy was sentenced to 75 days in jail after pleading guilty to two counts of misdemeanor death by vehicle in the March 3, 2023 death of a Minnesota couple.
Kevin Joseph Letarte, 38, drove his HCSO-issued Dodge Durango into a Ram 1500 pickup driven by Brian Anthony Finch, 65, while on NC 210 between Anderson Creek and Spring Lake, court documents say.
Finch and his wife, Patricia Lynn Finch, 64, died as a result of the crash in which they had a green light to cross NC 210 from Sandclay Drive to Ray Road, according to court records.
Letarte, who was originally charged with two counts of felony involuntary manslaughter, had those dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
However, he didn't get everything he asked for as Superior Court Judge C. Winston Gilchrist denied a request for 'prayer for judgment,' a term used in North Carolina in which sentencing would be postponed until after a probationary period. In such cases, the charges could be eventually dismissed.
In addition to 75 days in the Harnett County Jail, Letarte was ordered to pay court costs of $365 and complete 18 months of unsupervised probation. On Thursday, he was not listed on the jail roster.
According to a press release from Sheriff Wayne Coats on May 7, the day Letarte was sentenced, Letarte is still employed with HCSO, 'while complying with the restrictions imposed during sentencing.'
The release states that Letarte would ride with another deputy when necessary and would maintain his assigned canine and continue training with such.
The regular conditions of his sentencing include not possessing a firearm, ammunition or deadly weapon as defined in state law. Special conditions include continuing with mental health treatment.
His only prior conviction was in Rhode Island in 2005 for use or possession of Class C fireworks, according to eCourts.
Letarte was arrested May 18, 2023 and released on an unsecured $5,000 bond the next day. He was given no credit for jail time at sentencing, however.
According to a bill of particulars filed by prosecuting attorney Suzanne L. Matthews on Oct. 14, 2024, Letarte violated HCSO's policy on vehicle pursuits, along with some state laws.
The Sanford Herald previously reported that Letarte was traveling at speeds up to 95 mph prior to the crash.
According to a court document, he was chasing Jimmy Lewis White Jr., who was traveling 15 mph more than the speed limit of 65 mph.
WHITE FACES TRIAL
White, 49, faces two felony counts of aggravated flee and elude stemming from the crash.
He was arrested March 27, 2023 and posted a $15,000 bond on May 1, 2023 by paying $700 and promising to pay $700. He bonded out with the help of Jimmy and Larry White, according to eCourts.
Jimmy White faces a jury trial on Oct. 6 and has a disposition hearing set for Aug. 18.
White, who listed addresses at 1820 Nursery Road and 102 and 109 Grapefruit Lane in Lillington, also has had addresses in Sanford and Spring Lake over the years, according to eCourts.
He has pending charges for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia stemming from Jan. 18 in Harnett County. He was arrested that day and posted a $30,000 bond on Jan. 27 by paying $1,200 and promising to pay $3,000.
He was guilty of misdemeanor assault inflicting serious injury in 2022. District Court Judge Craig James sentenced White to supervised probation for six months and ordered him to pay $500. He later violated the terms of his probation and was ordered to jail for 10 days in 2023.
Charges of assault with a deadly weapon and injury to personal property, both misdemeanors, were dismissed without a reason given, stemming from Aug. 8, 2021.
A felony charge of disclosing private images stemming from March 6, 2019 was also dismissed without a reason given, according to eCourts.
However, White pleaded guilty to second-degree trespass stemming from 2014, and charges of breaking and entering and communicating threats were dismissed.
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