Published: June 25, 2009 08:02 pm      

Sinclair indicted for club death

Town owner, employee charged with manslaughter, aggravated assault

By Bob Belcher

Daily Sun



Tommy Sinclair, the businessman who has fought legal battles to become the owner of the town of Mustang now faces another legal battle — an indictment on charges of manslaughter and aggravated assault.

Sinclair, along with Jeffery Scott Ballew, were indicted Thursday by a Navarro County grand jury in connection with the 2008 death of a Houston man after an alleged altercation at Wispers, an all-nude cabaret that Sinclair runs in Mustang.

Fernando Ramirez, 35, of Houston died as a result of injuries he sustained in the Oct. 1, 2008 altercation at the night club, according to the indictment. Sheriff’s office dispatchers received a 9-1-1 call for assistance from the victim’s co-worker, who was stopped on Interstate 45 near the Navarro-Freestone County line.

Ramirez had been taken from the nightclub by a co-worker, and was headed to Buffalo, where he was staying, according to law enforcement officers interviewed following the incident. Corsicana Fire Department Ambulance transported Ramirez to the East Texas Medical Center in Fairfield, where he was pronounced dead by a Freestone County Justice of the Peace.

Thursday’s grand jury meeting resulted in 26 indictments out of 29 cases presented. It was the final meeting of the April-June term grand jury. A new grand jury will be seated in July.

“I’d like to thank the grand jurors for doing such a great job,” said R. Lowell Thompson, Navarro County district attorney. “They really listened to some tough cases.”

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Bob Belcher may be reached via e-mail at belcher@corsicanadailysun.com. Want to “Sound Off” on this story? E-mail: soundoff@corsicanadailysun.com.