ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —
A Candler man on Monday pleaded guilty to dozens of felony charges and has been sentenced to at least 10 years in prison after an alleged crime spree that led to charges in more than six dozen crimes, the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office reported.
In pleading guilty in Buncombe County Superior Court, Danny Mack Akins Jr., 53, of Candler, also admitted to having the status of “habitual offender,” leading to enhanced sentencing, the DA’s office said in a release. Visiting Superior Court Judge Nathaniel Poovey of Catawba County sentenced him to serve an active term of 120 to 156 months imprisonment.
He also must pay more than $100,000 in restitution and court fees, and has been ordered to have no contact with victims.
In announcing the sentencing, the District Attorney’s office outlined Akins’ alleged involvement in a so-called “chop shop” that dealt in stolen catalytic converters, a “theft ring” responsible for stealing more than $300,000 worth of wire from AT&T, and a 2021 break-in when he was accused of destroying a former domestic partner’s Deaverview apartment.
Ultimately, authorities said Akins pleaded guilty to:
* Felony Possession of Firearm by Felon
* Felony Breaking and Entering with Intent to Terrorize
* Felony Possession of Burglary Tools
* Felony Fleeing to Elude Arrest
* Felony Larceny
* Felony Breaking and Entering
* Felony Breaking and Entering of a Motor Vehicle
* Felony Possession of Stolen Motor Vehicle
* Felony First Degree Burglary
*Misdemeanor Assault on Female
* Felony Possession of a Stolen Firearm
* Felony Injury to Utility Wires/Fixtures
* Felony Entering Property to Obtain Non-Ferrous Metals
* Felony Chop Shop Activity
* Multiple felony counts of conspiracy
The domestic case dated back to Nov. 23, 2021, when Asheville Police responded to a call from a woman who said he had broken into her apartment and was destroying it. In that case, he originally was charged with breaking and entering with intent to terrorize, and was released after posting $5,000 bond, the District Attorney’s office said.
In early 2022, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office reportedly found stolen catalytic converters in a vehicle connected to Akins, and detectives later recovered 10 such items that had been spray-painted and sold at scrap yards, the office said.
Prosecutors also alleged that Akins played a significant role in a theft ring that allegedly stole large amounts of wire from AT&T.
“Investigators determined that Akins and others would steal and burn the wire to separate the plastic jacketing from the metal wire and sell the remaining metal to scrap yards across Western North Carolina,” the DA’s press release stated.
According to the prosecutors, from November 2021 through November 2023, Akins was booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility five times, and was released four times after posting bond. He has been in custody since Nov. 6, 2023, racking up 553 days of jail credit, the release stated.
Prosecutors said that Akins expressed remorse at a plea hearing “for everything that happened.”
In a written statement, District Attorney Todd Williams thanked investigators, participating law enforcement agencies, along with employees of AT&T, Snow Creek Landscaping, various scrap metal yards and other cooperating witnesses.
“Our community’s mutual cooperation and coordination has held Akins accountable for his crimes,” Williams stated.
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