POTEAU, Okla. (KNWA/KFTA) — One of two men involved in the castration of a 28-year-old Virginia man pleaded guilty Monday in an Oklahoma district court.

Thomas Evans Gates III had a jury trial set for Aug. 9 but instead entered a guilty plea to the below charges:

• Failure to bury a dead human member (misdemeanor)
• Possession of controlled dangerous substance (misdemeanor)
• Unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia (misdemeanor).

In June, Gates wrote a letter to the judge requesting permission “to go home.”

The sentencing for Gates is Sept. 28, 2021.

Gates’ husband, Bobby Lee Allen, has a status conference on Aug, 25, 2021, and a jury trial is scheduled for Sept. 20, according to court records.

Both men remain in custody in Oklahoma.

In October of 2020, officials at McAlester Regional Hospital called the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office to report that they were treating a 28-year-old patient who had surgery done at a home in Wister, Oklahoma.

The patient told hospital personnel that the plan was to remove his testicles, “by a Bob Allen and Thomas,” according to court documents.

The victim told deputies that he was searching the internet about castration and made contact with Bob Allen on one site.

They chatted online, and Allen told the victim that he had 15 years of experience performing castration procedures.

The victim, who lives in Virginia, booked a flight after Allen told him “the surgery wouldn’t cost him anything,” per the court documents.

Once in Oklahoma, the victim says the procedure took place. Court documents say the victim was awake during the surgery and under local anesthesia.

After the victim continued bleeding, Allen agreed to take him to the hospital. However, he instructed the victim to tell doctors that he had performed the procedure on himself.

Gates and Allen were arrested on Oct. 15, 2020, after visiting the castration victim at a hospital in McAlester, according to court records.