Rape conviction nets three life sentences

By Staff
Melissa Cason
At least two men drew the ire of Franklin County Circuit Judge Terry Dempsey during sentencing Monday morning.
Ronnie Gholston, 48, of 87 Gravel Hill Road, was sentenced to life sentences on first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree robbery charges and was tagged with an additional 20 years on first-degree theft and carjacking charges.
Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said Gholston's record of prior felony convictions prompted his office to ask for the maximum sentences in the case.
"This defendant was found guilty by a jury of three Class C felonies including rape and robbery, therefore, we asked for the maximum sentence and the judge saw that it was appropriate," Rushing said.
Gholston was convicted last month of kidnapping a Cash Advance employee at gunpoint in November 2006. He took her to a secluded area before raping her and returning to the store, officials said. He then forced her to get money from the business.
Gholston maintained his innocence through the sentencing phase of the trial.
In an unrelated case, Dempsey also handed down a life sentence to Donny Ray Hampton, 49, of 2011 Bull Skull Road in Leighton, for burglary and theft convictions.
Hampton was found guilty of taking items from the Dependable True Value Warehouse, located on Highway 43 in Russellville, in September 2006. The building was set ablze in the crime but the jury found Hampton not guilty of arson.
Hampton's defense attorney Rebecca Green-Thomason said they plan to appeal the convictions due to inconsistencies in the verdict.
Rushing said that both Gholston and Hampton will be transferred into the state system as soon as possible.