COVINGTON, Ky. — Eric Deters, a candidate for Kentucky governor, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges after police said he chased down his nephew and sent harassing messages to his sister-in-law.
In a release, the Kenton County Attorney's Office said Deters entered guilty pleas for one count of menacing and two counts of harassing communications. Court documents claim Deters chased down his nephew at Sugar Ridge Farm in October 2022.
The nephew told police he drove to the farm, owned by his father Jeremy Deters, to hunt and saw his uncle in his truck at the end of the driveway. He flipped Deters off, leading to Deters chasing him "down the paved driveway, through the Sugar Ridge Farm, across the fields, back onto Green Road near the cemetery, and returning to the gravel parking lot of the farm," court documents say.
Deters pleaded guilty to the menacing charge related to the chase after the presentation of evidence.
The harassing communications charges are connected to a voicemail and text messages Deters left for his nephew's mother. In one 47-second voicemail, Deters used slurs against the LGBTQ+ community to refer to his nephew and brother. He also threatened to beat the nephew up.
"Uncle Eric doesn't f*****g play," Deters said in the voicemail. "I don't play."
Deters was sentenced to 90 days in jail for each count, adding up to 270 days. The sentence was conditionally discharged for the next two years.
"The Kenton County Attorney’s Office is dedicated to seeking justice on behalf of victims who are wronged by criminal acts, regardless of who the perpetrator is. Mr. Deters’ conduct in this case was inappropriate and criminal under Kentucky law. We are pleased that justice was served today for the victims involved," said Drew Harris, chief prosecutor of the Kenton County Attorney's Office.
Deters is one of several candidates — including Daniel Cameron, Kelly Craft and Ryan Quarles — running in the Republican primary. According to WCPO partner LINKnky, he said the pleas "do not affect any way, shape or form my ability to run for governor."
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