Man sentenced to prison for theft from local church and businesses

PRESS RELEASE FROM DISTRICT ATTORNEY OFFICE, 26th JUDICIAL DISTRICT:

JACKSON, Tenn. — On September 22, 2021, Jackson Police Department (JPD) Officer Ezra Tillett responded to Unity Temple in reference to a report of property damage.

Someone had cut and removed a copper line leading from the air conditioning unit to the building, leaving the church without air conditioning.

The same thing had occurred the week before, but the church did not report the incident.

Rather, the superintendent contacted a heating and cooling contractor to repair the line.

The first repair cost $1,200, but the second repair required replacement of the entire unit, which was approximately $5,000. 

That same day, Save–A–Lot also suffered damage to an air conditioning system when someone removed copper piping.

Police developed a dark colored vehicle as a possible suspect vehicle. 

Two days later, on September 24, 2021, JPD Officer Wesley Smith responded to Resource Federal Credit Union in reference to a report of property damage involving two (2) air conditioning units.

Someone had torn apart the units and removed copper piping. The damage amounted to $27,915. 

Through the course of investigation into these three incidents, JPD Lieutenant Phillip Stanfill, Sergeant Jeff Herndon, and Investigators Darrell Listenbee and Wade Arnold developed Tyrone McCurdy as a suspect.

As a result of their investigation, McCurdy was arrested for three counts of vandalism and three counts of theft. 

A Madison County Grand Jury indicted McCurdy and a codefendant, Paul Fincher, on February 28, 2022, as follows: Counts 1 and 2: Vandalism over $2,500 and Theft of Property under $1,000 (Save- A–Lot); Counts 4 Theft under $1,000 (Unity Temple); and Counts 5 and 6: Vandalism over $10,000 and Theft up to $1,000 (Resource Federal Credit Union). 

The State of Tennessee, represented by Assistant District Attorney Justin Prescott, tried the defendant before a jury on December 6, 2023, and the jury convicted the defendant on all counts of the indictment.

On January 16, 2024, Judge Kyle Atkins, Madison County Circuit Court Division III, found the defendant to be a Range III persistent offender based on his prior criminal history, which included two convictions for Attempted Aggravated Rape, two convictions for Aggravated Burglary, and a conviction for Aggravated Perjury, all from Hamilton County, Tennessee. Accordingly, McCurdy was sentenced to a total effective sentence of twenty-two (22) years in the Tennessee Department of Correction.

During the sentencing hearing, the Court found that the offense involved more than one victim, the amount of damage to property sustained by the victim was particularly great, and the offense involved the theft of property and as a result of the manner in which the offense was committed, the victim suffered significant damage to other property belonging to the victim. 

“This Defendant’s Hamilton County criminal history demonstrates that he refuses to lead a productive life that doesn’t involve preying on other citizens and that instead he has chosen criminal activity as his profession in furtherance of an anti-social lifestyle,” said District Attorney General Jody Pickens. “Assistant District Attorney General Justin Prescott working with the Jackson Police Department did an outstanding job of ensuring that this persistent offender will be in the Tennessee Department of Correction for an extended length of time where he cannot victimize places of worship or businesses.”

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