ERWIN — Two men arrested by authorities Wednesday for their alleged involvement in a home invasion that occurred earlier this month in the town of Unicoi were arraigned in Unicoi County Sessions Court on Thursday.Corey Livesay, 19, 3035 Marbleton Road, Unicoi, and Anthony James Davis, 25, 1235 Little Warrensburg Road, Midway, are each facing charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, assault and theft under $500. Livesay is also facing a violation of probation charge, and Davis faces additional charges of theft over $1,000 and burglary for allegedly taking part in a burglary at the Maple Grove restaurant, which occurred several weeks before the alleged home invasion. Unicoi County Sheriff Mike Hensley said the home invasion’s victims are also the restaurant’s owners. The affidavit of complaint said Davis kicked in an office door at the restaurant and took $650 in cash, as well as a laptop computer valued at $900. A corporate bond of $85,000 was set for each man at the hearing, and both men applied to be represented by the public defender’s office. Assistant District Attorney General Ryan Curtis told Sessions Court Judge David Shults that the victims in the case are related to District Attorney General Tony Clark. Because of this, Curtis said Clark’s office would need to consult with the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference to determine if Clark’s office could prosecute the case or if prosecutors from outside the First Judicial District would need to be brought in. James Lonon with the public defender’s office said that due to Clark’s relationship with the victims, his office would also possibly have to withdraw from representing Livesay and Davis. Shults appointed private attorneys to represent the two men. Livesay was arrested by officials with the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday afternoon. Following Livesay’s arrest, Unicoi County Sheriff Mike Hensley said investigators had developed Livesay as a suspect in the home invasion that occurred at a residence on Pleasant Hill Drive, but Livesay was taken into custody on an unrelated charge — a violation of parole warrant out of Greene County Criminal Court. During an interview following his arrest, officials learned of Livesay’s involvement in the home invasion, as he provided information only a person involved would have known, Hensley said.Davis was arrested without incident in Jonesborough at approximately 9:50 p.m. Wednesday for his alleged involvement in the home invasion.On Dec. 9 at approximately 9:30 p.m., a woman reported that when she had returned to her Pleasant Hill Drive home she was approached by two men wearing ski masks, officials said. Officials said the men grabbed the victim and forced her into her home, where they used duct tape to restrain her to a chair. She reported that the men demanded the combination to a safe in the home, threatening to kill her husband upon his return home if she did not provide it. After the victim told the men she did not have the combination and could not open the safe, the men fled the home and ran toward nearby Marbleton Road, Hensley said. The affidavit of complaint said that before fleeing, the men took two cordless phones from the residence. A search for the men was initiated that evening. The sheriff’s department also offered rewards for information on the case during its investigation. Following Livesay’s arrest, Hensley said the home invasion was planned, which investigators had believed since the incident occurred.“There’s no question these guys had this planned,” Hensley said Wednesday. “They went in and tied the lady up, taped her to the chair. And there’s no question that they knew what they were doing. They knew what time she was coming home. ... There’s no question that we have the right people charged with this incident.” Both Livesay and Davis are scheduled to appear again in Sessions Court on Jan. 2.
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