GATESVILLE – Glynda Parker has been set free.

Parker, the former Captain with the Gates County Sheriff’s Office arrested in January of last year on the charge of obtaining property by false pretense, had her case dismissed here Tuesday during a session of Superior Court.

According to the court records from Tuesday, “at the conclusion of the state [presenting its] evidence, the defendant’s motion to dismiss [the charge] was allowed.”

The Honorable Superior Court Judge Wayland Sermons presided over the session. This particular case was not heard by a jury.

Ahoskie attorney W. Rob Lewis II served as Parker’s legal counsel. Her case had been continued on four previous sessions of Superior Court.

Parker, along with former GCSO deputies Lavar Newsome and Tobe Ruffin as well as former Sheriff Randy Hathaway, were all arrested Jan. 22, 2018 by the North Carolina SBI.

Hathaway, Parker and Newsome were each charged with one count each of obtaining property by false pretense. Ruffin was charged with four counts of the same alleged crime.

In each of those cases, a grand jury found reasonable cause that each law enforcement officer allegedly signed up for duty as a school security officer on specific dates in latter stages of 2017 and did not perform in that capacity; collecting pay for working as a deputy and as a school security officer.

Hathaway was also charged by the SBI with failing to discharge the duties of office, and obstruction of justice.

On Sept. 10, 2018 during a session of Gates County Superior Court, Hathaway entered an Alford Plea for the charge of failure to discharge duties. The other charges lodged against him were dismissed.

An Alford Plea allows a criminal defendant to proclaim their innocence, but still admit that the prosecution has enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

After taking plea from Hathaway, Superior Court Judge Marvin K. Blount III sentenced the former Sheriff to 45 days behind bars. Judge Blount suspended that active prison term, replacing it with 12 months of probation along with ordering Hathaway to perform 100 hours of community service.

In January of this year during a session of Gates County Superior Court, Newsome and Ruffin each entered an Alford Plea and accepted a lesser charge – misdemeanor failure to discharge duties. Both former deputies were given a Prayer for Judgment by Superior Court Judge Lamont Wiggins.

Two months later, Ruffin tragically lost his life during a single vehicle accident on NC 34 in Currituck County.