HOMER — A wanted felon who exchanged gunfire with Banks County sheriff’s deputies in the parking lot of a Banks Crossing shopping center in early 2015 will spend 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in the case.
Malcody Dinges entered a negotiated plea Friday in Banks County Superior Court.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer, as well as one count of trafficking methamphetamine. The three counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer each resulted in a sentence of 20 years in confinement, to be served concurrently. A fine of $1,000 per count plus special conditions also was ordered.
Dinges also was sentenced to 30 years for trafficking methamphetamine, to be served concurrent to the three counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer. He was ordered to pay a $200,000 fine.
Among the special conditions in the sentence, Dinges is ordered to pay fines/fees/restitution at the rate of $2,000 per month beginning 30 days after his release.
“The defendant is sentenced for a total of 30 years, with the first 20 years to be served in confinement and the remainder to be served on probation,” final disposition documents state. “Upon service of 20 years, the remainder of the sentence may be served on probation; provided that the defendant shall comply with the conditions of probation imposed by the court, as part of this sentence.”
As part of the negotiated plea, eight other charges were not pursued, including: three counts of obstruction; interference with government property; two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Because Dinges was convicted of a violation of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, it also was ordered that he “shall not knowingly have contact of any kind of character with any other member or association of a criminal street gang, shall not participate in any criminal gang activity …,” court documents state.
Piedmont Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Wayne McLocklin presided.
Dinges was shot twice by Banks County deputies just before 1:30 p.m. Feb. 6, 2015, in the parking lot of The Shoppes at Banks Crossing, after those deputies approached him for an outstanding parole violation warrant.
At the time of the incident, the North Georgia Regional Drug Enforcement Office had an active investigation on Dinges for distribution of methamphetamine, officials confirmed. Members of that unit were attempting to locate Dinges when officers saw him in the area of Highway 441 and Interstate 85 at Banks Crossing just prior to the incident.
