Daniel Cates, a Burke County man whose auto shop was recently raided by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), is facing a probation revocation hearing in U.S. District Court. The hearing is being presided over by Magistrate Judge Brian Epps.
Last year, an investigation by the I-TEAM looked into the ties between Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams and the owner of Cates Firestone, Daniel Cates. The business had been the subject of a federal investigation, and Cates, along with Grady Brandon Mobley, had pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling operation that funneled money through businesses, including Cates Firestone.
Cates received three years of probation as part of his sentence, while Mobley was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution. Mobley recently violated his probation by using alcohol and getting arrested. Williams had been a character witness for Mobley, advocating for a lighter sentence and speaking highly of him as a “model citizen.” Both Mobley and Cates families were significant donors to Williams’ campaign for sheriff.
The recent ATF raid on Cates’ business and residence in Burke County has raised questions about the connections between local businesses, law enforcement, and political campaigns in Burke County. The search warrants from the raid have not been made public yet, but authorities have not disclosed the details of what they were looking for during the raid.
The legal proceedings and investigations surrounding this case continue to unfold as Cates faces a possible revocation of his probation in federal court.
