NEWTON COUNTY – A Newton County jury found a prior convicted felon guilty of multiple charges after he reportedly held two people at gunpoint.

On May 10, 2024, prosecutors say Tony Lamar Benton walked into a room where he encountered two people asleep in bed. A news release from the Newton County District Attorney’s Office claims that Benton had a close relationship with both victims.

“The Defendant and one Victim were in the early stages of a romantic relationship and the other Victim was a longtime friend of the Defendant,” the release stated. “The Defendant assumed there were ill intentions and held them at gunpoint demanding that [the] second Victim leave the location.”

One of the victims called law enforcement after the altercation, leading to Benton’s arrest.

Benton was convicted on charges of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He faces sentencing at a later date.