A 62-year-old Boerne resident, James Lee Topham, pleaded guilty to intentionally striking a woman’s vehicle with his own, causing damage between $2,500 and $30,000. He was sentenced to 8 years in state prison as part of his plea agreement.
On Feb. 19, 2021, Topham was arrested after he struck a woman’s vehicle intentionally. While he initially was charged with the state jail felony – which carries a sentence of up to two years in prison – his punishment range was enhanced to that of a second-degree felony because there was an affirmative finding of the use of a deadly weapon – his vehicle – and because he was found to be a habitual offender.
Records show Topham was convicted of stealing between $200 and $10,000 worth of property in 1982 and convicted of committing aggravated robbery in 1987 when he used a knife to rob a victim. Both crimes were committed in Bexar County.
