Athens —
Arbra Leon Peavy, 45, of Eustace was sentenced to 18 years in prison Monday for charges including Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Forgery and Fraudulent Use or Possession of Identifying Information.
Peavy was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Bridget Bateman. Judge Mark Calhoon of the 3rd Judicial District Court imposed the sentence, after Peavy pled guilty to the offenses, as well as offenses of Prohibited Weapon and Failure to Appear, both felonies.
Peavy was indicted by a Henderson Grand Jury for the weapons charges after Henderson County Sheriff’s Office Investigators David Faught and Kendell Wellman (now lieutenant) and Bryan Tower (now Captain) and Dep. Billy Jack Valentine encountered Peavy while trying to locate another individual who had felony warrants in December of 2009.
The Sheriff’s Office began speaking with Peavy about unsolved theft cases in the county, and Peavy consented to a search of his residence.
During the search of Peavy’s bedroom at his residence in Eustace, officers located a shotgun in plain view in the corner of his bedroom. After further inspection, officers determined the barrel of the shot gun had been cut, making the firearm a prohibited weapon.
Officers also knew Peavy to be a convicted felon, and arrested him for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Prohibited Weapon, both 3rd-degree felonies.
While out on bond for those charges awaiting trial, Gun Barrel City arrested Peavy in August, 2011 for Forgery and Fraudulent Use or Possession of Identifying Information charges.
Officer Jesse Ison and Investigator Monte Mansfield of the Gun Barrel City Police Department were called to Chaney’s Tobacco and Check Cashing Express about a possible forged check someone was trying to pass. When officers arrived they made contact with the owner who advised the check was counterfeit.
The owner advised the bank listed on the check had been contacted, and verified that the account number on the check had been altered. The check had been made out to Leon Peavy, who was still at the scene.
Peavy was arrested for Forgery, which is a State Jail Felony. During a search of his vehicle parked outside the business, officers located additional items of identifying information belonging to seven other individuals.
These items included checks with bank accounts and routing information, driver’s license numbers and Social Security cards.
Officers also found a box containing a check starter kit, containing black-check paper in various sizes. Peavy was then charged with Fraudulent Use or Possession of Identifying Information, a 3rd-degree felony.
Peavy was also indicted for, and plead guilty to a Failure to Appear charge resulting from failing to appear in court for the felony cases for which he had been indicted.
Peavy has extensive criminal history, including drug convictions, gun possession convictions and previous bail-jumping convictions.
District Attorney Scott McKee credited the hard work of Sheriff Ray Nutt’s patrol deputies and investigators, as well as the Gun Barrel City Police Department.
“Sheriff Nutt and I, as well as all law enforcement agencies in Henderson County, will continue to work together to aggressively investigate and prosecute these criminals who continuously violate the laws in our county,” McKee said.
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