Devin Viar
Robbinsville – A former Graham County sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty to child-rape charges, after a lunchtime plea deal on the day his case was scheduled to go to trial saved him from a possible life sentence.
Devin Viar, 27, of Robbinsville, faces 144-233 months in prison (12 years to just over 19), for first-degree statutory rape, a Class B1 felony – with a possible sentence of life without parole. He was given credit for the 755 days he spent in jail prior to his sentencing.
He was moved to Granville Correctional Institution in Butner, where he will serve his time.
The victim was a young child and the rapes occurred multiple times between August 2019 and May 2020, according to court records.
Viar was a Graham County sheriff’s deputy, but was fired after he was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol on July 14, 2019, following a traffic stop on Old Highway 129 near where he lived at the time.
He was pulled over after driving erratically and failing a field sobriety test. A blood alcohol test showed his alcohol level was 0.15 – almost twice the legal limit to drive a motor vehicle.
Just weeks after he lost his job, Viar began raping a young child. The first incident occurred around Aug. 1, 2019, with two more occurring over the next nine months.
An arrest warrant was issued on Nov. 13, 2020 and Viar was arrested in early March of this year by Catawba County sheriff’s deputies. He was charged with three counts of statutory sex offense with a child by an adult. Two of the counts were filed by the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office and one was from a warrant issued by the Graham County Sheriff’s Office.
Viar was jailed in the Catawba County Detention Facility with bond set at $1.5 million. His first appearance in Graham County Superior Court was May 4.
A jury trial was scheduled for Nov. 7 in Graham County. Jury selection took place, but during the lunch break, Viar and his attorney Thomas Amburgey reached a plea agreement with prosecutor James Moore.