Captain’s Galley sued for sexual harassment

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued Captain’s Galley in Huntersville for sexual harassment and retaliation after a male employee claimed he was groped on a nearly daily basis, a media release about the lawsuit said.

In the lawsuit, Peter Economos said that from 2007 to 2008, while he worked at the 105 N. Statesville Road restaurant, a male employee poked, slapped or grabbed his buttocks and genitals frequently. Employees also made frequent sexual and explicit gestures, the release said. The lawsuit contends the same employee also assaulted other male employees.

Economos told Captain’s Galley management about the incidents at least twice. Nothing was done about the allegations, the suit contends, and Economos was fired from the company.

Calls to Captain’s Galley management were not immediately returned.

“Sexual harassment is illegal and unacceptable, regardless of the gender of the perpetrators or the victims,” said Lynette A. Barnes, regional attorney of the quality agency’s Charlotte District. “Furthermore, an employer is only making a bad situation worse by punishing a victim for complaining instead of addressing and solving the problem.  The EEOC will step in when it must to defend the rights of sexual harassment victims.”

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing for Economos’ back pay and undisclosed compensatory and punitive damages.

Nichols plea deal rejected

A Mecklenburg County judge has rejected a plea deal for Ernest Nichols, a former Ranson Middle School teacher.  The deal would have sent him to prison for up to 15 years for having sex with a minor.

Nichols, 45, of Huntersville, has been in jail since his arrest in Oct. 2009 after a 15-year-old girl came forward claiming he sexual assaulted her several times during a six-month period in late 2008 and early 2009.

Superior Court Judge Yvonne Mims Evans said the deal, which would have sentenced Nichols to 12 to 15 years, was not enough.

Nichols, who faces 19 felony charges, will appear in court again in February.

Jinwright sentencing begins

Bishop Anthony Jinwright and his wife Harriet Jinwright, former pastors for Greater Salem church, appeared in a federal court Wednesday, Dec. 8, for sentencing for tax evasion and conspiracy.

Sentences were issued after the Herald Weekly’s deadline, but visit www.huntersvilleherald.com for details.

Man sought after removing monitoring bracelet

HUNTERSVILLE – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police are searching for Jucorey Pruitt after police say he cut off his ankle-monitoring bracelet on Dec. 7 at his 317 Dellwood Drive home.

Pruitt, 19, has been out on bond since police charged him Oct. 22 with breaking and entering.

Pruitt has an extensive arrest record including several violent felonies and drug charges and is to be considered armed and dangerous, police said.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call 911 immediately or contact police at 704-336-8228.

Cornelius named 2010 Traffic Safe Community

CORNELIUS – AAA Carolina has name Cornelius one of its 2010 Traffic Safe Communities of the Year for outstanding leadership in traffic safety.

Each year the agency hands out the awards to highlight the cities and towns that are doing the best at keeping drivers safe.

“More people have died on North Carolina roads since Sept. 11 than died in the attacks in New York and soldiers killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq since,” said Tom Crosby, president of the Foundation of Traffic Safety.

“Making our streets safer is a team effort, and North Carolina has several communities that have stepped up to the challenge.”

Chapel Hill received top honors for cities with populations greater than 30,000 people, Laurinburg for populations between 30,000 and 10,000 and Highlands for populations less than 10,000.

Cornelius, Pinehurst, New Bern and Reidsville all received recognition at the award ceremony for populations between 30,000 and 10,000 people. Other winners included Charlotte, Cary, Apex and High Point for populations greater than 30,000 and Granite Quarry, Surf City, Burnsville and Indian Beach for populations fewer than 10,000.

Traffic safe communities were selected by examining crash statistics, number of law enforcement officers per capita, presence of a formal traffic safety program and/or existence of a special traffic division. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte provided the statistical analysis and the Carolina Motor Club Foundation chose winners in each category.

Crime Stoppers seeks board members, director

The North Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers board is asking for local residents to join its rank to help assist local police agencies with crime prevention.

The board is seeking residents of Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson to serve one-year terms on the board to assist in community crime fighting through prevention and information campaigns like its long-standing reward program for confidential information that leads to arrests.

The board also seeks a new executive director to lead its monthly board meetings and further its goal. A law enforcement background is not necessary but is helpful.

To fill out an application for either position or to find out more about the organization visit www.northmeckcrimestoppers.org.

Police reports

HUNTERSVILLE – Excluding routine citations, the Huntersville Police Department reported the following charges, including the places and dates of arrests, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6:

• Gregory Brennan Butler, 41, assault on a female, at 3908 Archer Notch Lane. Nov. 30.
• Jucorey Deonte Pruitt, 19, assault on a female, at Dellwood Drive. Dec. 1.
• Jeremy Lee Staudt, 30, DWI, at 13699 Beatties Ford Road. Dec. 2.
• Jonathan Keith Saunders, 47, felony possession of narcotics, 102 Mullen St. Dec. 3.



• Carri Ann Mattox, 42, felony possession of narcotics, at 102 Mullen St. Dec. 3.
• Kaesaun Kirkwood, 17, assault on school personnel, at Hopewell High School, 11530 Beatties Ford Road. Dec. 3.
• Bryon Dale Cannon, 49, carrying a concealed weapon, cutting instrument, at 9743 Sam Furr Road. Dec. 3.
• Terry Wayne Fletcher, 54, second-degree trespassing, at 16100 Statesville Road. Dec. 4.
• Sonji Sharnell Forbes, 40, assault, at 14713 Lyon Hill. Dec. 4.
• Jonathan William Charsha, 25, DWI, at 13724 Batemans Road. Dec. 4.
• Terry Wayne Fletcher, 54, shoplifting, at 9925 Rose Commons Drive. Dec. 4.
• Florisel Munoz Cruz, 18, shoplifting, at 10025 Biddick Lane. Dec. 5.

CORNELIUS – Excluding routine citations, the Cornelius Police Department reported the following charges, including the places and dates of arrests, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6:

• Ashley Ouellet, 21, assault and battery, at 9226 Washam-Potts Road. Dec. 1.
• Christine Joy Gessert, 21, DWI, at 21222 Nautique Blvd. Dec. 3.
• Christopher M. Donovan, 39, DWI, at 18199 W. Catawba Ave. Dec. 3.
• Jonathan Kas Matos, 24, urinating in public, at 20520 Chartwell Center Drive. Dec. 4.

DAVIDSON – Excluding routine citations, the Davidson Police Department reported the following charges, including the places and dates of arrests, from Nov. 28 to Dec. 4:

• Nastassia Rankinski Kerns, 27, DWI, at 214 Harbour Place Drive. Dec. 4.

HUNTERSVILLE – The Huntersville Police Department received the following reports of crimes from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6:

Burglaries
• 15700 block of Northstone Drive. Nov. 30.
• DR Horton Homes, at 6512 Torrence Trace Drive. Nov. 30.
• 9300 block of Ithaca Lane. Dec. 2.
• 9100 block of Shepparton Drive. Dec. 4.

Car break-ins
• 16500 block of Northcross Drive. Dec. 2.
• 16600 block of Statesville Road. Dec. 3.
• Advance Solutions, at 10705 Huntersville Commons Drive. Dec. 4.
• 16800 block Cranlyn Road. Dec. 4.
• 16600 block of Statesville Road. Dec. 5.
• 10000 block of Gilead Road. Dec. 5.
• 16200 block of Statesville Road. Dec. 6.

Car theft
• 13200 block of Rosedale Hill Ave. Dec. 5.

Shoplifting
• Bi-Lo, at 9815 Rose Commons Drive. Dec. 4.
• Marshall’s Department Store, at 10025 Biddick Lane. Dec. 5.

Thefts
• 12600 block of Sulgrave Drive. Nov. 30.
• 12700 block of Cross Dale Drive. Dec. 1.
• 11530 Beatties Ford Road. Dec. 1.
• Priority Honda, at 12815 Statesville Road. Dec. 2.
• 15100 block of Beatties Ford Road. Dec. 3.
• 14400 block of Holly Springs Drive. Dec. 5.

Vandalism
• Cookout Triad, at 425 Huntersville Gateway Blvd. Dec. 3.
• Pitt Stop, at 14601 Statesville Road. Dec. 3.
• 6700 block of Mountain Majesty Way. Dec. 3.
• 14100 block of Statesville Road. Dec. 4.

CORNELIUS – The Cornelius Police Department received the following reports of crimes from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6:

Armed robbery
• 20000 block of W. Catawba Ave. Dec. 1.

Burglary
• 19600 block of School St. Nov. 30.
• 19700 block of Feriba Place. Dec. 1.
• Nar Services, at 19335 H.M. Junker Drive. Dec. 2.

Car break-in
• 8300 block of Magnolia Estates Drive. Dec. 6.

Car thefts
• Lakeside Mini Storage, at 18630 Statesville Road. Dec. 1.
• 17400 block of Mightnight Express Way. Dec. 5.

Thefts
• Grass Master Landscaping, at 17800 Half Moon Lane. Dec. 2.
• Glenridge Homeowners Association, at 19305 Coachman’s Trace. Dec. 3.
• 15800 block of Trenton Place. Dec. 5.