Suspect Enters Guilty Plea for 2019 Violent Assault, Armed Robbery

On Monday, May 13, Jesse James Patterson, 45, entered guilty pleas on two charges stemming from the 2019 armed robbery and violent assault on a local business owner. 

On the afternoon of January 14, 2019, the Stephens County Sheriff’s office received a 911 Dispatch call at approximately 3:30 pm Friday afternoon regarding an armed robbery that had occurred at Means Auto Salvage on Highway 106, and when deputies arrived, they found a victim had been beaten and an undetermined amount of cash had been taken. Later that month, WNEG News reported that warrants had been issued for Jessie James Patterson Jr., 40, in connection to the armed robbery and aggravated assault at Means Auto. Officials, at the time, noted that Patterson had an extensive criminal record, and WNEG news has discovered arrest records for Patterson in both Georgia and New York. Warrants were also issued for two other individuals suspected to be involved in the crime.

Patterson entered guilty pleas on two charges, Armed robbery, which was reduced as part of a plea negotiation to robbery by intimidation, party to a crime, and aggravated assault, party to a crime, and was sentenced to 20 years , to be served concurrently.  According to the sentencing summary issued following Patterson’s guilty plea this past Monday, he will serve 10 years in custody, followed by 20 years on probation; however, the 20 years will be suspended upon service of two years in the Jackson Correctional Institution Work Release Program. Patterson was also fined $2,500, and ordered to pay $,1000 in restitution to the victim. The sentence included an order of no-contact for the victim and associated individuals, and Patterson will be barred from entering the Mountain Judicial Circuit during the period of his probation. The Mountain Judicial circuit includes Stephens, Rabun, Habersham and Banks counties.