Macon Man Sentenced to 10 Years After Contacting Stalking Victim During His Own Trial
MACON, Ga. – A Macon man has been sentenced to 10 years after prosecutors say he continued contacting a woman he had been ordered to stay away from even as jurors were being selected for his aggravated stalking trial.
Jonathan Vincent Roland pleaded guilty to one count of Aggravated Stalking in Bibb County Superior Court on August 13, 2026, the morning his trial was scheduled to begin.
Roland was sentenced to 10 years, with the first eight years to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections. The court also issued a permanent protective order prohibiting him from contacting the victim for the rest of their lives.
The case dates to March 8, 2023, when a Bibb County Superior Court judge issued a temporary protective order directing Roland to have no contact with the woman.
Despite that order, prosecutors said surveillance video recorded Roland outside the victim’s home at approximately 11:49 p.m. on April 25, 2023, yelling insults at her.
Roland then allegedly sent text messages asking about a PT Cruiser parked at the residence. At approximately 1:10 a.m. on April 26, 2023, he left the woman another insulting voicemail, according to prosecutors.
Contact Continued During Jury Selection
The case eventually proceeded toward trial, and jury selection was completed on August 12, 2026.
But prosecutors said Roland was still contacting the victim in violation of his bond conditions while his case was going to trial. He allegedly sent numerous text messages and voicemails to the woman during the proceedings.
Roland’s grandmother also contacted the victim and asked her not to testify against him, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The victim provided the new messages to prosecutors, giving them additional evidence of Roland’s continued attempts to contact her.
During Roland’s plea hearing, one of his messages was played in court. According to the District Attorney’s Office, the judge remarked that he had never encountered a defendant accused of aggravated stalking commit another alleged act of aggravated stalking while the trial for that offense was underway.
“This defendant was told by a court, in writing, to leave this victim alone, and instead of stopping, he kept contacting her through the very days his jury was being seated,” Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney Anita Howard said.
Howard credited the victim with coming forward with the additional messages while the trial was underway and said her cooperation gave prosecutors evidence that helped secure Roland’s guilty plea.
Under the permanent protective order, Roland is prohibited from contacting the woman after his release from prison. Prosecutors said any violation could result in new aggravated stalking charges.
Assistant District Attorneys Amber Cook and Ariel Bozeman prosecuted the case.
