Franklinton Man Found Guilty of Falsifying Calls To 9-1-1

District Attorney Warren Montgomery reports that a Washington Parish jury found Donald E. Tate

(48) of Franklinton guilty Wednesday (June 12, 2019) of false communication with the intent to cause an emergency response for an incident involving an ex-girlfriend.

District Judge William H. Burris is set to sentence Tate on August 14, 2019. The charge carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison. Tate has six prior felony convictions, including distribution of cocaine, false imprisonment while armed with a dangerous weapon, and first degree robbery. He is facing additional time if he is sentenced under state statute as a multiple offender.

Tate’s conviction Wednesday was for an incident that began after 10 p.m. on March 18 this year, when Tate forced his way into his ex-girlfriend’s residence and got into a fight with her current boyfriend. Once Tate was forced out of the house, he called 9-1-1 about 10 times, making allegations about his ex’s new boyfriend, which were determined to be false. Tate accused the boyfriend of having a shotgun and an assault rifle. Prosecutors alleged Tate made the repeated calls to get the new boyfriend arrested and out of his ex’s life.

Assistant District Attorney David Weilbaecher, Jr., prosecuted the case. The Franklinton Police Department investigated it.