Whited can’t escape stiff federal sentence

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

WHITED

After being acquitted by a local jury last year for a pair of armed robberies, a former serial robber was not so fortunate when it came to federal court.

The defendant, Daniel Whited, 47, was sentenced to serve 15.8 years recently in federal court on charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to his jail time, Whited will spend five years on supervised release once he has served his prison sentence.

Whited was arrested by federal authorities last year shortly after he was acquitted by a local jury on two counts of armed robbery. Lawmen maintained Whited was the lone gunman who robbed Pit Stop North and Pump n’ Pay Market within days of one another. During trial, prosecutors brought a pair of eyewitnesses who identified Whited as the gunman.

However, during the trial, the defense presented witnesses who claimed Whited was painting a cabin on Harrison Ferry Mountain at the time of one of the heists. Jurors opted to acquit Whited based on the alibi testimony. Court rules prevented jurors from being told that Whited had 11 prior armed robbery convictions for a robbery spree he had earlier committed in Florida.

Shortly after his acquittal, federal prosecutors along with McMinnville Police Department began an investigation into allegations Whited had been seen in possession of a gun. Possession of a weapon by a felon is a violation of the federal trigger-lock law.

According to District Attorney General Dale Potter, federal authorities were able to bring Whited to justice even after he beat the robbery charges. Potter pointed out federal prosecutors have the ability to take state cases where the proof contradicts the jury verdict where a suspect is acquitted. Potter said such a federal statute is usually used in cases where race is a factor in an acquittal.

“We still do not understand the verdict that the jury reached in the case when it was presented locally. However, we are satisfied with the results reached by the U.S. Attorney’s office,” Potter said. “We understand some of the jury members are pleased that Daniel Whited was prosecuted on the federal level. He is a very dangerous criminal as is evidenced by the crimes he committed here and his past criminal record.”