Pleading guilty for his role in a deadly hit-and-run in 2023 that killed 81-year old Ismael Moreno Claudio of Paris, Rodney Willis, known as “The Dirtman” on KBUS, pled guilty and received 10-years probation and 400 hours of community service, according to court records.
Several days after the fatal hit-and-run at the entrance of Applebee’s on Sept. 29, 2023, Willis confessed to being the driver after being stopped for a traffic violation on Oct. 2, 2023. He was arrested for Failure to Display License.
Police said Willis was a suspect in the hit-and-run and during the course of the investigation, it was established that Willis was in the area of the accident during the time of the incident.
A Paris detective located his parked vehicle behind his residence, in an apparent attempt to prevent officers from locating it, and a search warrant was obtained on Oct. 9, 2023, to recover the vehicle.
During an interview, on the charge of Failure to Display License, Willis confessed to being the driver in the fatality accident after police questioned him.
Court records show that Willis made the plea agreement on Mar. 8, 2024, in the 6th District Court during a pre-trial hearing in front of Judge Wes Tidwell.
Willis received a sentence of 10-years probation, a $500 fine and 400 hours of community service.
