Roman Yates' new mugshot
WHITE/WILLIAMSON COs., Ill. - A Norris City man convicted of a sex-related crime in Williamson County had apparently been AWOL...until earlier today.
Williamson County authorities had issued a warrant for Roman D. Yates, 33, the man convicted almost a year ago in a case dating back to December 2014, wherein he was accused of courting a 16-year-old female in Creal Springs on social networking for the purpose of having a sexual relationship with her....which he ultimately did.
His charges were either amended or reduced to Criminal Sexual Abuse/Victim Can't Give Consent (due to age), this taking place in mid-June of last year.
In exchange for his plea to this class 4 felony, Yates received a pathetic 30 months probation, 178 days in jail (time served since his December arrest) and was ordered to pay $1,020 in fines and fees, none of which have been paid. Two counts of Class 1 felony Criminal Sexual Assault/Victim Can't Consent and a Class 2 felony Criminal Sexual Abuse/Victim Can't Consent/two or more times were all dismissed.
He apparently didn't make any moves toward paying on the fines and fees, first in December of 2015, then in February of this year...and a warrant was issued.
This morning (May 3) at approximately 2:46 a.m., the apparently very busy White County Deputy Scott Cantrell was on routine patrol when he observed Yates walking out of Walmart in Carmi, according to a report filed this morning. Aware that Yates was wanted on the warrant, Cantrell took him in.
At last check, he was being held for Williamson.