A plea deal was reached Monday morning in the case of Jaylynn Cheatham, who shot two men at a gas station on East Ninth Street in Hopkinsville last year.
Cheatham pled guilty to two counts of first-degree assault and first-degree wanton endangerment, with an attempted murder case dismissed as part of the deal that comes with a total recommended sentence of 10 years after all of the sentences run concurrently.
Cheatham shot Darrius Quarles of Hopkinsville and Bryan Jones of Cadiz outside the Marathon gas station on East Ninth on March 28 of 2021, with both men requiring treatment at a hospital.
Christian Circuit Judge Andrew Self also noted the deal will mean his pre-trial diversion from a 2018 case will be revoked and a four-year sentence from that case will be tacked on for a total of 14 years.
Cheatham also entered guilty pleas to second-degree strangulation and two counts of fourth degree assault in connection with two other pending cases and those sentences will run concurrently with the rest.
The commonwealth agreed in the deal to allow Cheatham to be released on an ankle monitor pending final sentencing and attorney David Rye asked Judge Self to put off sentencing until August 24 so Cheatham can celebrate his young daughter’s birthday.
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jerad Smith argueed against it and Judge Self instead scheduled final sentencing for July 13 and reminded Cheatham that he will receive the maximum sentence if he fails to appear in court that date.
Cheatham will also be required to make about $2,200 in restitution and to pay the cost for the ankle monitoring. He will only be allowed to be at the home of his grandmother while out awaiting sentencing.