A Dalton, Ga., man who traveled to Madisonville, Tenn., on April 20 to "take over the town" was sentenced to six months probation Wednesday.
Darren Wesley Huff, 41, was found guilty of disrupting a meeting, a Monroe County Circuit Court official said Wednesday.
The prosecutor moved not to go forward for now with two other charges, riot and retaliation for a past action, court officials said. The ruling of nolle prosequi means those charges were dismissed but could come back again, records show.
Investigators said Huff traveled to Madisonville to support U.S. Navy retiree Walter Fitzpatrick III, 56, of Sweetwater, Tenn. Fitzpatrick has been challenging grand jury panels throughout the country, charging that grand jury foremen and forewomen have become "tools" of prosecutors and judges.
On April 1, Fitzpatrick barged into a closed grand jury meeting to make a citizens' arrest of Monroe County grand jury Foreman Gary Pettway. Fitzpatrick was arrested.
On April 20, Fitzpatrick's scheduled arraignment date, Huff drove from Georgia to Madisonville. An FBI agent's affidavit said Huff told officers he and others were going to help Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick's case was still going on late into the afternoon Wednesday, according to the court official. He faces charges of riot, disrupting a meeting of procession, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, retaliation of past action and civil rights intimidation.