CAMERON—The owner of what has been ruled a “junkyard” on East Cameron Avenue in Rockdale was back in court Monday, where he was convicted in a jury trial and then taken to jail.
Ira Richard “Richie” Thrasher was found guilty by unanimous vote of a county court jury on 62 counts of maintaining a junkyard.
Milam County Judge Steve Young said the charge involved an appeal from a previous conviction in Rock-dale Municipal Court.
Young said the state Transportation Code prohibits having a junkyard within 1,000 feet of a highway.
East Cameron Avenue is US 79.
FINES—Young fined Thrasher $1,000 for each count, plus court costs, a total of $75,000.
The county maintains that even though there is a fence the piles behind them reach above the top.
Young said following the trial Thrasher was arrested on a warrant for failing to appear for a previous hearing on state felony charges and was taken to the county jail.
He remained there at presstime, being held without bond.
ACTION—Monday’s developments were the latest in a long series.
Condition of the property has been a longtime saga as the City of Rockdale and Milam County have attempted to get the owner to clean it up.
Last year Thrasher was found guilty in Rockdale Municipal Court on six charges of maintaining a junkyard.
On March 19, Thrasher was found guilty in a bench trial in Rockdale Municipal Court of 13 more cases of the same offense and was fined $43,400, with other costs bringing the total to $47,612.
Thrasher has been arrested twice before Monday and served jail time.
In June he was indicted by a Milam County Grand Jury for bail jumping/failure to appear.
Milam County, which is assisting the City of Rock-dale in the legal efforts, has maintained items were being removed from the property and taken to a location on County Road 323.
WITNESS—Judge Young said at a July hearing for the temporary injunction that Barbara Holly, City of Rock-dale Development Services Director, gave testimony that she had witnessed removal of various items.
The county had intended to dispose of the litter on the property and assess costs against the owner.
In April assistant DA Kyle Nuttall said the county had authority to take out a lien on the property, then call for bids.
That month the county sent a certified letter to Thrasher allowing him 30 days to clean up the ;property. After the 30 days expired, commissioners began taking steps to have it cleaned up.
Officials for the City of Rockdale have expressed concern over the cost of such a large-scale cleanup and concerns over ever being reimbursed.
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.