ATLANTA, GA - According to reports, a Fulton County judge issued a $500 fine and no jail time for two out of the three suspects who were charged with setting fire to a Wendy's in Atlanta during a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest that turned into a violent riot back in 2020.
The suspects, identified as Chisom Kingston and Natalie White were both charged with conspiracy to commit arson in the first-degree and two counts of first-degree arson. Court records show that both Kingston and White pleaded guilty to those crimes in a plea deal.
Kingston and White were sentenced to five years probation, ordered to pay a $500 fine, and must complete 150 hours of community service. The third suspect, 35-year-old John Wesley Wade, was indicted on the same exact charges earlier in the year back in January.
According to the Blaze, at the time of the indictment, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said, "I think this indictment is particularly important. It sends a message that we are a community that supports protesting. We certainly know it's one of your constitutional rights, but what we do not tolerate is violent protest."
Willis added, "It is unacceptable to burn down a building in our community even in the name of a protest." Initially, all three pleaded not guilty and waived their arraignments back in March of 2022.
Fox 5 reported that the fire reduced the Wendy's building to rubble and that it was the same Wendy's were Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot by officers in the summer of 2020. The BLM protest that turned into a violent riot took place after his death at that Wendy's.
Two days after the fatal shooting, a large group of protesters gathered around the Wendy's and shortly after 9:30 p.m., flames could be seen shooting out of the close restaurant.
Kingston's attorney stated that his client accepted the plea deal offered to him in court. The $500 fine and 150 hours of community service must be completed within the following six months. According to the indictment, Wade, White, and Kingston "unlawfully, by means of fire, knowingly and intentionally damaged the building."
The grandy jury also found enough evidence to indict the three of them with conspiracy to commit arson. On the night of the actual riot, close to 36 people were arrested. However, White was apprehended on June 22nd, and Kingston and Wade were arrested on July 2nd.
Wade is a prominent BLM activist in Atlanta and allegedly led several protests during the summer of 2020. In October 2020, he was arrested on federal charges over a string of violent demonstrations and was sentenced to five years in federal prison back in March 2022.
Wade was caught by police after he was ordered to wear a GPS ankle-monitoring device when he was released on bond for burning down the Wendy's. He is set to go to trial on Tuesday, December 5th, for the charges against him related to the Wendy's arson.
The suspects, identified as Chisom Kingston and Natalie White were both charged with conspiracy to commit arson in the first-degree and two counts of first-degree arson. Court records show that both Kingston and White pleaded guilty to those crimes in a plea deal.
Kingston and White were sentenced to five years probation, ordered to pay a $500 fine, and must complete 150 hours of community service. The third suspect, 35-year-old John Wesley Wade, was indicted on the same exact charges earlier in the year back in January.
According to the Blaze, at the time of the indictment, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said, "I think this indictment is particularly important. It sends a message that we are a community that supports protesting. We certainly know it's one of your constitutional rights, but what we do not tolerate is violent protest."
Willis added, "It is unacceptable to burn down a building in our community even in the name of a protest." Initially, all three pleaded not guilty and waived their arraignments back in March of 2022.
Fox 5 reported that the fire reduced the Wendy's building to rubble and that it was the same Wendy's were Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot by officers in the summer of 2020. The BLM protest that turned into a violent riot took place after his death at that Wendy's.
Two days after the fatal shooting, a large group of protesters gathered around the Wendy's and shortly after 9:30 p.m., flames could be seen shooting out of the close restaurant.
Kingston's attorney stated that his client accepted the plea deal offered to him in court. The $500 fine and 150 hours of community service must be completed within the following six months. According to the indictment, Wade, White, and Kingston "unlawfully, by means of fire, knowingly and intentionally damaged the building."
The grandy jury also found enough evidence to indict the three of them with conspiracy to commit arson. On the night of the actual riot, close to 36 people were arrested. However, White was apprehended on June 22nd, and Kingston and Wade were arrested on July 2nd.
Wade is a prominent BLM activist in Atlanta and allegedly led several protests during the summer of 2020. In October 2020, he was arrested on federal charges over a string of violent demonstrations and was sentenced to five years in federal prison back in March 2022.
Wade was caught by police after he was ordered to wear a GPS ankle-monitoring device when he was released on bond for burning down the Wendy's. He is set to go to trial on Tuesday, December 5th, for the charges against him related to the Wendy's arson.
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Comments
2023-12-05T21:50-0500 | Comment by: Pat
If they were white, they would be in jail with a fine bigger than 500 bucks. The court system is a joke. No jail time ? Talk about spineless.