A leader in a controversial Western North Carolina religious group has avoided prison after a plea deal. Prosecutors say, 68 year old Brooke Covington was sentenced after the plea deal led to felony kidnapping charges being dropped.
The charges came after an incident in 2013 in which prosecutors say, Covington and other members of Word Of Faith Fellowship choked and beat a young man for two hours, in attempt to get rid of what they called "homosexual demons".
Covington entered an Alford Plea to misdemeanor charges, Monday. An Alford Plea is when a defendant maintains there innocence but admits they there is enough evidence for them to likely be found guilty.
A victim came forward saying that he was held down and beaten at the Word Of Faith compound in Spindale. Covington was originally tried on the charges in 2017 but those proceedings ended in a mistrial.
Covington was sentenced to 75 days in jail but that those sentences were suspended, so she won't serve any time at all. Covington has been sentenced to two years of probation and community service.
