NC man pleads guilty, gets 15 years for assaulting Horry County detention officer

CONWAY, S.C. (WMBF) – A North Carolina man will spend more than a decade behind bars after pleading guilty to a 2021 assault in Horry County.

The 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said 39-year-old Jason Willets, of Whiteville, pleaded guilty to one count of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. Willets was expected to appear in court this week.

Prosecutors said the charge was related to a 2021 attack on the J. Reuben involving a detention officer. Officials said Willets admitted during a hearing that he picked up a chair and threw it at a desk in the cell block.

The chair then hit the officer on the head and injured her, resulting in her being treated at a hospital.

After his plea, a judge sentenced Willets to 15 years in prison.

Stay with WMBF News for updates.

Copyright 2024 WMBF. All rights reserved.