Published: May 07, 2008 10:50 pm         

Beckley man pleads guilty to perjury

A Beckley man currently serving five to 25 years for his role in a series of beatings in late 2003 and early 2004 faces up to six additional years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of perjury Wednesday before Raleigh County Circuit Judge Robert Burnside.

Darrell Cadle Jr., 30, and Kristina Brooks, 23, of Mullens pleaded guilty in 2004 to two counts of malicious wounding and one count of conspiracy to commit a felony.

Co-defendant Shawn Stewart, 28, of Burnsville, however, did not plead and went through three separate trials.

Assistant prosecutor Tom Truman said it was during Stewart’s first two trials, at which Cadle testified, that he committed perjury with his “testimony in total variance” of each other.

As part of the plea arrangement, Truman said, the state will not seek an additional perjury charge in relation to Cadle’s testimony at Stewart’s third trial.

Cadle will be sentenced June 27.

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Also Wednesday, a 36-year-old Beckley man pleaded guilty to one count of nighttime burglary and one count of first-degree robbery.

Assistant prosecutor Andrew Demlich said Randy Ray Meadows’ nighttime burglary plea stemmed from a Sept. 12, 2007, incident during which he and a second person broke into a residence on Burmeister Avenue in Raleigh. Earlier that day, Demlich said, Meadows robbed the Go-Mart in MacArthur at knifepoint.

As part of the plea agreement, Demlich said, additional charges, including a robbery at a second Raleigh County convenience store, were dropped.

According to Demlich, Meadows made a full confession at the time of his arrest.

Meadows faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced June 27.

— E-mail:

mjames@register-herald.com