An influencer has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the death of his girlfriend in 2023, which he initially blamed on his dog.
On Tuesday, April 7, the Tarrant County District Attorney announced in a news release that 34-year-old Kaleb Mickens, also known as Cash Cartier, had pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated assault family violence in connection with the deadly attack and drugging of Sheila Cuevas on October 8, 2023.
He was also sentenced to 20 years on probation for aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and 15 years for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Dallas County.
The DA confirmed that Mickens committed these offenses against various women with whom he had been in relationships.
Prosecutors believe that on the day Cuevas died, Mickens called authorities to report that she was not breathing, alleging she had been attacked by his dog Soldier.
“The dog was taken and euthanized by animal control but later determined by animal control to have nothing to do with Ms. Cuevas’ injuries and death,” the DA stated, citing the release.
“In a full court room Monday, several women delivered impact statements that included details of torment, torture, manipulation, and sexual assault,” the release read. “Each shared their message of survival and personal devastation that Ms. Cuevas did not survive.”
The statement added, “The family of Ms. Cuevas, including her brother, addressed the Defendant, stating, ‘there can be no justice that brings Sheila back, but there can be outcomes, and there can be accountability and you deserve this.’ ”
According to the DA, Mickens was referred to as Cash Cartier in the multi-level marketing scheme IM Academy.
Mickens would encourage young individuals to join his training team “with the promise of thousands of dollars,” according to the announcement.
“He used his perceived wealth and status to manipulate men and women with threats and promises while hiding his very violent private persona,” the DA stated.
Mickens was earning $20,000 a week during the peak of his training, according to Fox 4.
However, his income had declined at the time of Cuevas’ death.
“He is a master of manipulation,” Allenna Bangs, a Tarrant County assistant district attorney, told Fox 4. “He’s just incredibly abusive.”
“He, by his nature, is just an abuser and that’s kind of what we found by investigating his case,” Bangs added.
“There were some complications with the case with the medical examiner proving the cause of death, so we weren’t able to charge him with murder, so ultimately charged with a first-degree felony offense,” Fort Worth attorney Peter Gieseking said. “But ultimately, what happened on that day we don’t really know.”
Regarding Cuevas, Bangs told Fox 4 that she was “a valedictorian, had a graduate degree — ended up in his grips and couldn’t find a way out even with a loving family.”