A Loudon County jury, Sept. 8, found Tellico Village resident Angelo Leone, 69, not guilty of assaulting Tellico Village Property Owners Association General Manager Winston Blazer.

 

The incident that took place Aug. 24, 2009, in the POA office led to the arrest of Angelo Leone.

 

The incident transpired when a Loudon County blog appeared on the "Topix" site on the Internet.  Leone said that blog contained derogatory sexual innuendos about him and his wife.  "It (the blog) had information that was available only to Sherry Snodgrass (the general manager's assistant) and Winston Blazer," he said.

 

Leone said he attempted unsuccessfully to contact POA board of director members to find out who was posting the blog and have it stopped.  Then he went to Blazer.

 

"Things deteriorated from there," Leone said.  During that meeting, Leone said Blazer told him had no knowledge of the blog and there was nothing he could do.

 

"I went to grab the paper he threw on the desk," Leone said.  "Before you know it, he went to grab it.  I got it (the paper) and got up to leave.  He jumped up and started yelling to call the police."

 

He said when the police were called he sat down and waited for them.

 

"Its' a release," Leone said of the verdict.  "It's a vindication."

 

"This unfortunate issue is now in the past," Blazer said.  "It has not impact on our relationship with our residents.

 

"Our employees continue focusing on providing outstanding service to our more than 7,000 residents and property owners," he said.

 

Leone is also putting the matter in the past.

 

"It's all over now, thank God," he said.

 

Leone said he is simply continuing with his retirement.

 

"My wife and I came down here (to the Village) in 2003, and we fell in love with this place and bought property," Leone said.

 

He's not sorry about moving to Tellico Village he said.

 

"We're happy here.  We made a lot of friends here.  I still love Tellico Village," he said.

 

In addition to his wife, Leone's neighbors - Chuck Bailey, the East Tennessee district governor of the Lions Club, and Ken DeBoer, a Loudon County Sheriff's Deputy, testified to Leone's character.