Adams

ELKINS — A Randolph County man who was accused of choking another man during an altercation entered a plea agreement Wednesday afternoon, lowering his felony charge to a misdemeanor.

Denton Thomas Adams, 38, agreed to a plea agreement that lowered his strangulation charge, a felony, to domestic battery, a misdemeanor, in Randolph County Magistrate Court.

Adams was placed on one year of unsupervised probation beginning Wednesday by Randolph County Magistrate Mike Dyer. Adams was represented by attorney Gregory Tingler.

According to the stipulations of the plea agreement, Adams is not allowed to have any unlawful contact with the victim, cannot bring anyone into the victim’s home without the victim’s written consent and must complete the North Central Community Corrections program.

When asked by Dyer if this plea agreement is what the victim desires, Assistant Randolph County Prosecutor Leckta Poling said yes.

“I have explained the terms of the plea that I have set forth and that Mr. Adams has agreed to no unlawful contact with (the victim),” Poling told Dyer. “There is no requirement that (Adams) reside with (the victim). (The victim)’s indicated he now has Hospice… so there’s no longer a need for Mr. Adams to be any kind of caretaker.”

Poling also told Adams that the victim has the right to restrict the use of his car to Adams and that the victim can put it in writing if he gives Adams permission to use the vehicle.

According to the criminal complaint, prepared by Patrolman First Class D.T. Sayre of the Elkins Police Department, on Jan. 6, Sayre and Patrolman C.J. Elmore investigated a situation at a residence on Central Street.

The victim told officers that Adams had “knock(ed) me to the floor and proceeded to choke me with both hands, saying he was sick and tired, I was living too long, and that his ‘expiration date had expired,'” the complaint reads.