Newport Burglary Suspect Pleads Guilty

Late Thursday, District Attorney Jimmy Dunn’s office announced that a man charged with several counts of breaking into several businesses in Newport last year has now agreed to a plea deal. Bryan Benjamin Thompson was the suspect in a string of burglaries in November of 2023, including breaking into firearms and ammo business Smoky Mountain Silencer, where he took not just money but also firearms. Thompson was finally captured in mid-December of 2023.
According to the District Attorney, Thompson has now plead guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm; multiple counts of burglary, theft and vandalism; and one count of assault on a police officer. Video evidence was used to identify Thompson as the suspect. When questioned by law enforcement and confronted with the video evidence, Thompson admitted guilt. He has been sentenced to 20 years in prison and must serve 45% of that sentence. That means, he could be released after serving nine years. As part of the plea deal Thompson has been ordered to have no contact with any of the victims and also to make restitution to the victims who suffered out of pocket loss.
District Attorney Jimmy Dunn says the plea deal was negotiated by Asst. District Attorney Tonya D. Thornton. Dunn thanked law enforcement for their hard work in this case. That includes Detectives with the Cocke County Sheriff’s office Katrina Baldwin, Joshua Boyce, Bob Schaff, Zach Shelton, and Michael Whitmer as well as Newport Police Department Detective William Garber.