Two Potter County juries recently handed down life sentences in unrelated cases involving child sexual abuse and a violent robbery. Federal prosecutors also announced a major drug indictment, while Amarillo police made arrests in a robbery investigation dating back to February.
Life sentence in child sexual abuse case
Thomas Gwynn will spend the rest of his life in prison after a Potter County jury found him guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child.
The case stemmed from an investigation launched in August 2024 after allegations that Gwynn sexually abused a child over several years. Jurors convicted him during a July trial in the 108th District Court of Potter County before sentencing him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Jury gives life sentence in 2023 robbery, shooting
A Potter County jury sentenced Johnny Michie Jr. to life in prison and assessed a $10,000 fine for his role in a 2023 robbery and shooting that left a victim paralyzed.
Prosecutors said Michie robbed the victim of jewelry before opening fire during an incident at an Amarillo apartment complex in April 2023. The victim later identified him in a photo lineup. Court records show Michie was on probation for felony theft at the time of the offense, a factor jurors considered along with victim impact statements before deciding on the sentence.
Federal indictment follows Amarillo meth investigation
A federal grand jury has indicted 51-year-old Mason Allan McCarty on drug and firearm charges after investigators alleged he distributed roughly 28 pounds of methamphetamine over the past several months.
Police served a search warrant June 30 at the Traveler Motel in Amarillo, where officers reported finding about 57 grams of suspected methamphetamine and two firearms. Federal court documents state McCarty admitted possessing the guns and selling the methamphetamine. He was transferred to federal custody July 13 and remains jailed. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
Three women arrested in nightclub robbery case
Two sisters and another Amarillo woman are accused of robbing a woman outside Guitars and Cadillacs earlier this year.
Skylyn Presli Gonzales, 23, Zimirie Arys Gonzales, 22, and Alexis Kaye Montgomery, 22, each face robbery charges stemming from the Feb. 4 incident. Investigators said the victim was assaulted by several women she knew before one of them allegedly took her gold chain. Police documented bruising, swelling and what appeared to be a broken foot, and the victim's cellphone was reportedly smashed during the attack.
The victim identified all three suspects in separate photo lineups, and a witness provided additional details that supported her account, according to court records. Montgomery was arrested July 26, while the Gonzales sisters surrendered to authorities three days later. All three have since posted $20,000 bond and are barred from contacting the victim or going within 200 yards of her home, workplace or school.
