STATE OF TENNESSEE v. RONALD LYONS, JAMES MICHAEL USINGER, LEE HAROLD CROMWELL, AUSTIN GARY COOPER, AND CHRISTOPHER ALAN HAUSER - Articles

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STATE OF TENNESSEE v. RONALD LYONS, JAMES MICHAEL USINGER, LEE HAROLD CROMWELL, AUSTIN GARY COOPER, AND CHRISTOPHER ALAN HAUSER

Posted by: Tanja Trezise on Mar 22, 2021

Court: TN Court of Criminal Appeals

Attorneys 1: Emma Rae Tennent (on appeal), Assistant Public Defendant; Martesha Johnson, District Public Defender; Jared Mollenkoff and Stella Yarbrough (at trial), Assistant District Public Defenders, Nashville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Christopher Alan Hauser.

Attorneys 2: Lesli O. Wright (at trial and on appeal), Nashville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Austin Gary Cooper.

Attorneys 3: Manuel P. Russ (at trial and on appeal), Nashville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Ronald James Lyons.

Attorneys 4: C. Leann Smith (on appeal), Nashville, Tennessee, for the appellant, James Michael Usinger. Sarah R. King (at trial and on appeal), Nashville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Lee Harold Cromwell.

Attorneys 5: Herbert H. Slatery III, Attorney General and Reporter; Ronald L. Coleman, Assistant Attorney General; Glenn R. Funk, District Attorney General; and Roger D. Moore and Byron Pugh, Assistant District Attorneys General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge(s): EASTER

Ronald Lyons, James Michael Usinger, Lee Harold Cromwell, Austin Gary Cooper, and Christopher Alan Hauser, Defendants, were named in a 302-count indictment by the Davidson County Grand Jury for multiple counts of forgery and fraudulently filing a lien for their role in filing a total of 102 liens against 42 different individuals with the office of the Tennessee Secretary of State. Defendant Cooper was also named in a second indictment for five additional counts of forgery and five additional counts of fraudulently filing a lien. Prior to trial, Defendant Hauser filed a motion to dismiss for improper venue. Defendants Cromwell and Cooper joined in the motion. The trial court denied the motion after a hearing. After a jury trial, each defendant was convicted as charged in the indictment. The trial court sentenced Defendant Cromwell to an effective sentence of twenty-five years; Defendant Cooper to an effective sentence of fifty years; Defendant Lyons to an effective sentence of twenty-two years; Defendant Usinger to an effective sentence of twenty-one years; and Defendant Hauser to an effective sentence of twenty years. After motions for new trial and several amended motions for new trial were filed, the trial court held a hearing. The trial court denied the motions in a lengthy and thorough written order. Each defendant appealed, raising various issues challenging their convictions and sentences. After deep review, we affirm the all judgments and all sentences.

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