A Milam County Court jury ruled for the City of Rockdale Tuesday in its long-standing claims over a ‘junkyard’ in the 1300 block of East Cameron Avenue (US 79).
Less than 30 minutes after being sent to deliberate, the jury found Ira Richard “Richie” Thrasher, 42, of Rockdale guilty of six counts of keeping a junkyard within 1,000 feet of a highway, a Class C misdemeanor.
Judge Dave Barkemeyer fined the defendant $500 on each charge, a total of $3,000, and also assessed court costs on each charge.
APPEAL—City Manager Chris Whittaker said city officials had repeatedly called the land owner’s attention to the condition of the property.
The property was adjacent to a home which burned on March 3, 2017, but Whittaker said the fire damage was not included in the court case.
“This had been going on well before the fire,” he said.
Thrasher had appealed the case to county court from Rockdale Municipal Court.
‘JUNKYARD’—Prosecutor Bill Torrey said the county alleged the properties at the All Services Propane site were “kept in such a way that it was a junkyard.”
Assistant District Attorney Kyle Nuttall argued Thrasher “did not take the necessary steps to screen the property so that it was not visible from the US 79.”
“Although he had fencing along most of the property, the piles reached heights above the fence,” Nuttall said.
Whittaker said after the trial the Milam County Sheriff’s Department advised the owner that back taxes were owed the county and city in connection with the property.
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