Decatur Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Shocking Plea Deal for Rape and Battery Charges

A Decatur resident has been sentenced to six years in prison following a plea agreement on charges involving rape, battery, and compelling a woman into prostitution. The plea deal was reached just before the case was set to go to trial last week.

The indictment, as documented by the Macon County Circuit Clerk’s Office, revealed that 49-year-old Ashante D. Brownlee was implicated in several criminal activities throughout 2023 and 2024. These charges stemmed from a series of alleged incidents during that period.

Aggravated domestic battery in April 2024
- Found he strangled a family/household member, intentionally impeding her breathing/circulation of her blood
2 counts of domestic battery in April 2024
- Caused bodily harm to a family/household member, struck them on the right leg and left arm with his fist, causing injury
Vehicular invasion on May 1, 2024
- Entered the interior of a vehicle owned by someone else with the intent to commit a theft
Domestic battery on May 1, 2024
- Made physical contact of a provoking nature with a family/household member and struck them in the face
Unlawful possession of weapons by a felon on June 10, 2024
- Was convicted of attempted murder in Cook County and knowingly possessed a handgun
Defacing identification marks on a firearm on June 10, 2024
- Knowingly possessed a handgun and changed, altered or removed the manufacturer’s serial number
Criminal sexual assault on Nov. 4, 2023
- Inserted his penis into the vagina of the victim while using force or the threat of force
Domestic battery on Nov. 4, 2023
- Made contact of a provoking nature with a family/household member by shoving them
Unlawful restraint on Nov. 4, 2023
- Without legal authority, detained a woman and didn’t let her leave a bedroom in a residence in Decatur
2 counts of Promoting prostitution from Nov. 2023-June 2024
- Knowingly compelled someone to become a prostitute
- Knowingly arranged a situation to insure someone became a prostitute

Originally scheduled for a jury trial, Brownlee opted to accept a plea bargain on Friday, April 24. In doing so, he admitted guilt to a selection of the charges brought against him.

Unlawful possession of weapons by a felon
Domestic battery/physical contact
Promoting/arranging prostitution for profit

For the unlawful possession of weapons by a felon guilty plea, Brownlee was sentenced to six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections to be followed by one year of mandatory supervised released with credit for 532 days already served.

For the promoting prostitution guilty plea, he was sentenced to three years in the IDOC, followed by up six months of mandatory supervised release.

For the domestic battery guilty plea, Brownlee was sentenced to 533 days in prison in the Macon County Correctional Center with credit for 533 days already served.

These sentences will all be served concurrently. As a result of the plea, the other nine counts Brownlee was facing were dismissed.

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Decatur Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Shocking Plea Deal for Rape and Battery Charges

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