Polk County man pleads guilty in chop shop case
by Lydia Senn
Dec 09, 2010 | 2774 views | 0 0 comments | 12 12 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Johnny Summerville
Johnny Summerville
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Another man accused of participating in a Polk County chop shop ring has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Rome.

Johnny Lee Summer­ville, 60, a Cedar­town auto salvage yard owner, was indicted in connection with the car theft ring in May.

Summerville pleaded guilty on Thursday to knowingly owning and operating a chop shop and to possessing the drug dihydro­codein­oze with the intent to sell.

He will be sentenced on Feb. 18, 2011.

According to the May 2010 indictment:

Summerville operated the chop shop between January 2001 and Oct. 6, 2009.

Officials said Summer­ville removed the vehicle identification numbers on at least three vehicles and also possessed a stolen Caterpillar tractor.

Summerville could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Summer­ville will remain on bond until he is sentenced.

Other suspects include:

  • Mark Howell Sparks, 40, of Felton, was found guilty in July of informing the target of an investigation that he was being investigated, obstructing a criminal investigation and possession of a stolen 2001 Chevrolet pickup truck. He was sentenced in November to serve three years in federal prison.

  • Michael A. Hooper, 48, of Cedartown, was also indicted in May. He was charged with committing insurance fraud by falsely reporting a stolen vehicle. He was found not guilty.

  • Richard Gerald Haney, 63, and Joey David Hughes, 35, both of Cedar­town, were arrested in October 2008 and charged with theft by receiving stolen property. Neither man has been indicted.

  • Richard Todd Haney, 40, of Cedar­town, was charged with possession of a vehicle with an altered identification number. He has not been indicted.

  • Kenneth Lane Gravett, a former Polk County police officer, pleaded guilty to insurance fraud after he falsely reported that his Harley Davidson motorcycle had been stolen and then tried to collect insurance proceeds on the motorcycle. Gravett was sentenced on Jan. 28 to serve 10 months in home confinement and five years on federal probation. He was also ordered by the court to pay $12,517.02 in restitution.

  • Michael Stephen Robinson, a former Polk County deputy, was indicted on charges that he aided and abetted Gravett in committing insurance fraud, illegally possessed a rifle with a sawed-off barrel, and possessed a motor vehicle with an altered VIN. He has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 30.
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