Prosecutor: No plea offer in Wichman Monuments case
The theft case of the former head of Wichman Monuments in Chattanooga was rolled to September on Wednesday after a prosecutor said no offer to settle the charges has been made.
“I’m not in a position to sit down and make an offer,” said Hamilton County Assistant District Attorney Andrew Coyle.
Coyle told Criminal Court Judge Barry Steelman that he has talked to seven of the eight alleged victims named in the indictment against Trent Daniel Wichman, 33.
The operator of Wichman Monuments, a 72-year-old business on Brainerd Road that closed last year, allegedly had stopped filling hundreds of orders on headstones and markers for which people had paid.
Wichman, who was the company’s president, was charged with theft of property in July 2018. He entered a “not guilty” plea and is free on bond.
Ben McGowan, Wichman’s attorney, said the company closed with
little notice and the businessman had been “wrapping up business.”
McGowan said people had contracted for monuments and paid money. Wichman sold the property and turned over the assets to a third party, which has been trying to settle claims.
McGowan later declined to comment on the case outside the courtroom Wednesday.
Wichman headed the 5225 Brainerd Road company started by his grandfather, Fred Wichman.
Randy Wilson of Randy Wilson Painting said earlier this year he bought the Wichman Monuments’ three-quarter-acre tract from Wichman’s grandparents. He said he had agreed to accept responsibility for the customer accounts, which numbered about 260.
On Wednesday, Wilson said all but three or four claims were outstanding. He said those people were debating with themselves on what to put on the monuments.
“As far as I know, all the stones ordered are paid for,” he said.
He said the cost of the property and paying the claims will probably be a little more than $400,000.
Wilson said he has had interest from people considering restaurants and other businesses for the property, but he hadn’t sold the tract yet.
“I’ve been trying to sell by owner,” he said. “I may list it with a real estate company. I haven’t been trying to push it.”
He didn’t want to give an asking price for the property, saying a real estate broker might ask more than what he had in mind.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress. com or 423-757-6318. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.