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Man pleads in illegal tattooing case
[December 21, 2012]

Man pleads in illegal tattooing case


MCALESTER, Dec 21, 2012 (McAlester News-Capital - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A McAlester man has pled guilty after being charged for offering to tattoo a McAlester police officer.

Joshua Lee Ross, 27, of McAlester, was charged in November with two misdemeanors after he allegedly offered to tattoo undercover McAlester Police Officer Max Clark and for allegedly possessing tattoo equipment without a license.

On Dec. 7 Ross pleaded guilty in Pittsburg County Court to one count of unlawful tattooing or offering, and one count of purchasing or possessing tattoo equipment without a license.

Judgment and sentencing was deferred for one year and will run concurrent for both counts. He was also fined $575, the record states.

Ross was arrested November after two undercover McAlester police officers Max Clark and Shawn Delana, went to Ross's home to follow up on lead that Ross was running a tattoo parlor from his McAlester home.

Court records state that when the undercover officers knocked on the door, Ross invited him in.

"Ross held the door open and told us to come in," Clark said in the affidavit.

Ross then walked around into the open dining room area and on the dining room table was all of his tattoo equipment, the records state.

Clark showed Ross a copy of the tattoo he wanted and Ross offered to do the tattoo for $250.



Officer Clark then asked Ross about some of the equipment.

"Ross showed me the tattoo guns there on the table," Clark said.


That's when court records state that Clark showed Ross his badge and placed him under arrest for illegal tattooing and all of his tattoo equipment was photographed and collected for evidence.

Ross was arrested and released after posting a $1,500 bond.

Contact Jeanne LeFlore at [email protected].

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