A North Carolina man pleads guilty and receives a 15-year for assaulting Horry County detention officer

A North Carolina man pleads guilty and receives a 15-year for assaulting Horry County detention officer

A North Carolina man will serve more than a decade in prison after pleading guilty to a 2021 Horry County attack.

According to the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, 39-year-old Jason Willets of Whiteville has pled guilty to a high and severe assault and battery charge. Willets was scheduled to go to trial this week.

Prosecutors said the accusation stemmed from a 2021 assault at the J. Reuben that included a prison guard. According to officials, Willets testified during a hearing that he took up a chair and tossed it toward a desk area inside the cell block.

The chair then struck the officer in the head, injuring her and requiring medical treatment.

Following Willets’ plea, a judge sentenced him to 15 years in jail.

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