Fulton man sentenced to 17 years in prison

Daniel Jermell Brown
Daniel Jermell Brown

A Fulton man was sentenced in court Monday to 17 years in prison.

Daniel Jermell Brown, 34, appeared in circuit court on Monday, before Judge Kevin Crane. Brown pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault and received five years for each of these charges.

According to prosecutors, Brown admitted he assaulted two men with an aluminum baseball bat last June. Both men suffered moderate injuries. The men reported they were helping Brown and his girlfriend move from her residence when Brown attacked them unprovoked.

Brown also pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of third-degree assault for which he was sentenced to four years in prison. Brown admitted that last September he assaulted an inmate at the Callaway County Jail by striking that man in the face with his fist. Brown reported he assaulted the victim because he believed the man stole food from him. The victim suffered bruising and three broken teeth.

In another unrelated case, Brown pleaded guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident and was sentenced to three years in prison. He admitted that in February 2018, he was operating a vehicle in the parking lot of a Fulton convenience store when he struck the building causing moderate damage. Brown exited the vehicle, saw the damage and fled the scene.

The assault cases were investigated by the Callaway County Sheriff's Office. The investigation for leaving the scene of an accident was conducted by the Fulton Police Department.

Also in court:

Malik Clark, 22, of Fulton, was sentenced to seven years in prison for possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) with intent to distribute. Clark had been on probation for the offense and admitted violating probation by committing new offenses for possession of marijuana and fraudulent use of a debit device. The judge revoked probation and sentenced Clark to prison and further ordered that Clark complete a substance abuse treatment program within the Department of Corrections before being considered for release. The case was originally investigated by the Fulton Police Department.

William Deckard, 29, of Springfield, failed to appear in court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Timothy Kelley, 54, of New Bloomfield, pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated (fourth offense) and misdemeanor assault. Kelley admitted he was driving on Old U.S. 54 last May while he was under the influence of alcohol. A trooper stopped Kelley's vehicle after he crossed over the center line of the roadway several times. The trooper noted Kelley smelled of intoxicants and appeared to be intoxicated. He performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was arrested. Kelley refused to submit to a breath test so the trooper obtained a search warrant for a blood sample. Kelley shoved the trooper when medical personnel were trying to obtain a blood sample. The blood sample confirmed he was under the influence of alcohol. The DWI charge was enhanced to a felony offense based on Kelley's three prior convictions for DWI in Boone and Callaway counties. The judge sentenced Kelley to seven years in prison for the DWI charge and recommended he complete a substance abuse treatment program within the Department of Corrections before being considered for release. The judge also sentenced Kelley to 30 days in jail for the misdemeanor assault charge. The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Jaimie Lynn Purdy, 27, of Jefferson City, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine). Purdy admitted she possessed the drug after it was found in her residence during execution of a search warrant in April 2017. The judge placed Purdy on five years of supervised probation. The case was investigated by the Holts Summit Police Department.

Calvin Schuster, 18, of Eldon, pleaded guilty to domestic assault in the third degree and was sentenced to four years in prison. Schuster admitted to choking his girlfriend during an incident occurring last July. An eyewitness to the assault contacted police who responded to the scene. Both the victim and the eyewitness reported Schuster had assaulted the victim by pushing and slapping her and that he had choked her as well. The victim suffered minor injuries. The judge suspended execution of the prison sentence and placed Schuster on five years of supervised probation. The case was investigated by the Holts Summit Police Department.

James Stauffacher, 34, of Wellsville, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine). Stauffacher admitted he possessed the drug last May while he was residing at the Community Supervision Center operated by the Missouri Department of Corrections. A staff member saw Stauffacher remove a small package from his pocket and throw it under a table. The staff member retrieved the package, a small baggie containing crystal methamphetamine, and turned it over to police. The judge sentenced Stauffacher to seven years in prison to be served concurrently with another prison sentence he received in Montgomery County. The case was investigated by the Fulton Police Department and Callaway County Sheriff's Office.