David Smith, son of a billionaire and the chief executive officer of Sonic Automotive, a public company that owns one of the largest car-dealership chains in the US, was charged with assaulting a woman.
He was charged with three misdemeanor counts and one for felony assault by strangulation, a charge that can carry a sentence of as long as two years in prison.
He intends of plead not guilty once North Carolina courts fully reopen from pandemic shutdowns, his lawyer reported.