Man Convicted of Multiple DUIs Finds Salvation in Woodworking

Concord, N.C. – On January 10, 2013 kvue.com released a news story regarding a family plagued by DUIs. The mother featured in the story talked about her years of heartbreak and how she lost her oldest son in 1993 and feared she would lose her younger son too.

Her younger son had two DUI convictions before he wound up rear-ending another vehicle at 90 mph on a 45 mph road near the university – which caused a four-car pileup. Fortunately, nobody died in the collision, but the 2007 DUI landed her son in prison.

After the 2007 incident, before he was sentenced for an assault with a deadly weapon charge, her son had yet another DUI. This time the woman's son went through a 90 day drug and alcohol treatment program at Piedmont Correctional Institution in Salisbury in 2008.

He was later transferred to Tabor City Prison near Myrtle Beach, while there another inmate gave him a tattoo for which he was placed in solitary confinement in order to prevent the spreading of a communicable disease. All he had to do while in solitary was listen to a radio and think about his situation at length.

The young man heard a guy come on the radio and he talked about having a new life with Christ, no matter where one was, whether it was at home or in prison. The felon felt as if the man on the radio was talking directly to him. This moment was a turning point for him. He said, "Something came over me. I was saved. I was a reborn again Christian at that point. And I knew it. I felt it."

The man wound up taking up woodworking in prison, but he was still undecided about life outside of prison. He said that God wanted him to do it, and that God's son was a carpenter, and from that point he knew he had to do it. His mother said her son has a God-given talent. She said, "He loves it. It's just like therapy. Some people make earnings. Some people garden. And this is what makes him happy." Her son who was formerly convicted for several DUIs is now making wood crosses for local churches and businesses, and he crafts custom pieces. Her son said, "It's an honor to even be able to make them."

The man who was previously convicted for four DUIs has advice for others like him struggling with their own past, "There's still hope for rehabilitation. There's still hope for change for anybody. You just got to go out there and get it. Make the best of your situation no matter where you're at."

He's still waiting to get his driver's license restored, but he's still been able to move forward with his life with the help of his friends and family. His fiancé said, "I feel he can help somebody because he's gone from bad to positive. And that can have a big impact on somebody."

The Law Offices of Darrin M. Gamradt, P.C. is a criminal defense law firm that represents individuals facing various criminal charges in North Carolina, including DWI/DUI. If you or someone you love is facing DUI charges, please contact former prosecutor Darrin M. Gamradt for the tough and aggressive defense your situation demands!

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