Felonies - Bad Sporters https://www.badsporters.com News Blogging About Athletes Being Caught Up Fri, 10 Jan 2020 22:51:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 Former Cal football player charged with 2 felonies after reported attack on cop https://www.badsporters.com/2020/01/10/former-cal-football-player-charged-with-2-felonies-after-reported-attack-on-cop/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/01/10/former-cal-football-player-charged-with-2-felonies-after-reported-attack-on-cop/#respond Fri, 10 Jan 2020 22:51:35 +0000 https://www.badsporters.com/?p=4475 Joseph Ogunbanjo. Photo: Cal Athletics A former linebacker with the UC Berkeley football team was charged with two felonies Wednesday after he reportedly attacked a Berkeley police officer over the weekend, according to court papers. The Alameda County district attorney’s office charged Joseph Adeyem Wisdom Ogunbanjo, 19, of Berkeley with trying to take a gun […]

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A former linebacker with the UC Berkeley football team was charged with two felonies Wednesday after he reportedly attacked a Berkeley police officer over the weekend, according to court papers.

The Alameda County district attorney’s office charged Joseph Adeyem Wisdom Ogunbanjo, 19, of Berkeley with trying to take a gun from that officer and resisting arrest, according to court documents.

UC Berkeley sophomore Ogunbanjo was suspended from the Cal football team during the fall season, and ultimately was removed from the team altogether, according to Cal officials. They said they could not say when Ogunbanjo was terminated from the team due to student privacy laws.

Police said the attack happened early Sunday on Gayley Road near University Drive on the UC Berkeley campus at about 1 a.m. According to court papers, the officer was sitting in his vehicle when Ogunbanjo walked up to him and “asked me if I had a gun, then asked me if he could drive my patrol vehicle.”

The officer asked him to leave, but instead Ogunbanjo opened the driver’s side door, according to court papers, and “it appeared as if he was going to forcefully pull me out.” The officer pulled out his gun and pointed it at Ogunbanjo as he got out of the vehicle.

“While I waited for cover, Ogunbanjo started to grab me,” then reached for the officer’s gun twice, according to court papers. The officer punched Ogunbanjo in the head two or three times to stop him from taking the gun. During the struggle, Ogunbanjo elbowed the officer in the face, according to police.

Then Ogunbanjo walked over to the vehicle and sat in the driver’s seat “as if he was going to steal” it, according to court papers. The officer hit Ogunbanjo on his arm with a baton two or three times to stop him from leaving, police wrote.

After the baton strikes, Ogunbanjo got out of the vehicle and complied with the officer’s orders to get on the ground, according to court papers. Another officer arrived to help take Ogunbanjo into custody. There was a struggle during the detention, the officer wrote, but police were ultimately able to arrest him.

Ogunbanjo remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, according to court records online. His bail amount was not listed as of publication time. His next court date was not listed either.

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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2020/01/10/former-cal-football-player-charged-with-2-felonies-after-reported-attack-on-cop/feed/ 0 4475 USU football player charged with 2 felonies has prior drug charge – The Utah Statesman https://www.badsporters.com/2018/06/30/usu-football-player-charged-with-2-felonies-has-prior-drug-charge-the-utah-statesman-2/ https://www.badsporters.com/2018/06/30/usu-football-player-charged-with-2-felonies-has-prior-drug-charge-the-utah-statesman-2/#respond Sat, 30 Jun 2018 13:10:21 +0000 http://www.badsporters.com/?p=4291 Jamaal Evans, a Utah State University player who was charged with two first-degree sex-crime felonies Thursday, has a prior conviction for possessing marijuana in February and was on probation, according to court records. He was charged for possession of a controlled substance, a class B misdemeanor, in the 1st District Court, and plead guilty in […]

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Jamaal Evans, a Utah State University player who was charged with two first-degree sex-crime felonies Thursday, has a prior conviction for possessing marijuana in February and was on probation, according to court records.

He was charged for possession of a controlled substance, a class B misdemeanor, in the 1st District Court, and plead guilty in March. He has a plea in abeyance agreement for the charge and the tracking review date for the agreement is March 7, 2019, according to court documents. 

Evans was charged with first-degree rape and first-degree forcible sodomy, both felonies, after a woman said she was raped at at an off-campus party the night of June 17 and the early morning of June 18.

That same day, the Logan Police Department responded to a call from the Cache Valley Hospital after a patient receiving a sexual-assault exam asked the hospital to call police.

The woman was interviewed by police on June 18 and said she began drinking vodka with a friend at the party, according to the affidavit of probable cause police report.

The report stated the next thing the woman remembered was waking up in the shower when she struck her head on a metal rack hanging over the shower head, and she said she remembered hearing Evans ask her if she “was good.” The report states that her last memory is waking up in her friend’s bed the next morning at their residence.

The next day, an interview with the woman’s friend was conducted, in which she gave her account of the night’s events.

The report states that the friend said she became concerned when Evans and the woman did not return to the basement after the woman had left with Evans to go upstairs to the kitchen. Three other party guests helped the friend search for the woman and Evans. The report said the group searched outside the house but didn’t search the bedrooms because they thought residents of the house were sleeping in them. The report continues, saying the friend then sent text messages to the woman that were left unanswered and after she found the woman’s phone unattended in the basement, she began texting Evans.

According to the report, Evans didn’t respond to the friends text message initially but then sent a text back saying “hold up” and “we good.”

The report continues saying the friend then heard a shower turn on upstairs and went upstairs to discover one of the bedroom doors now open with a light on. The friend observed vomit all over the bed, the floor and Evans shirt. The friend then attempted to enter the bathroom nearby but the door was locked, and the report states Evans was telling the friend through the door that “she did not need to be there and that they were okay.”

The friend, in an attempt to trick Evans into opening the door, told him she would be going back downstairs, but she then waited by the door. Evans opened the door and “peeked his head out the door as if to see if she was still there,” the report states, and the friend said she then forced her way into the bathroom.

“(The friend) stated she found (the woman) sitting on the toilet completely nude,” the report stated, and “(the friend) described (the woman) as being completely hunched over and as ‘completely incoherent.’”

The friend “began questioning (the woman) about what had occurred between she and Evans,” the report continued, and “the friend stated that (the woman) began tearing up and and telling her she did not know what was happening.”

The friend said she then went to question Evans about what had happened between the woman and him and the friend stated “Evans further described what occurred as ‘when you’re in the moment and you want what you want, you just got to do it sometimes.’” The friend continued saying Evans told her that “(the woman was sober and that ‘he gave that girl what she wanted.’”  

In a later recorded phone call conversation with Evans and the woman, the woman “accuses him of rape to which he responds that she needs to trust him because he is the only person who was there and knows what happened,” the affidavit stated.

In the police affidavit, the officer interviewed several of the party goers and they all said the woman was “obviously” too intoxicated to give consent.

Evans’ bond was originally set at a $40,000 bond, but during his initial court appearance prosecutors agreed to a reduce the bail to a $25,000 bond. As of Thursday afternoon, the Cache County Jail did not have a listed inmate under Evans’ date of birth.

Court documents indicate that Evans is on pretrial supervision with Professional Probation Services, Inc. The probation includes no alcohol or illegal drugs, no contact with the alleged victim and he must report to PPSI immediately upon release from custody.

Evans’ next court appearance, for the two felony charges, is scheduled July 10 before Judge Brian Cannell. Evans noted he does not have money to hire his own attorney and will be appointed a public defender, according to court records.

Evans signed with Utah State’s football team Feb. 1, 2017.

laurenmarie.bennett@aggiemail.usu.edu

@laurmarben


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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2018/06/30/usu-football-player-charged-with-2-felonies-has-prior-drug-charge-the-utah-statesman-2/feed/ 0 4291 USU football player charged with 2 felonies has prior drug charge – The Utah Statesman https://www.badsporters.com/2018/06/30/usu-football-player-charged-with-2-felonies-has-prior-drug-charge-the-utah-statesman/ https://www.badsporters.com/2018/06/30/usu-football-player-charged-with-2-felonies-has-prior-drug-charge-the-utah-statesman/#respond Sat, 30 Jun 2018 07:16:42 +0000 http://www.badsporters.com/?p=4288 Jamaal Evans, a Utah State University player who was charged with two first-degree sex-crime felonies Thursday, has a prior conviction for possessing marijuana in February and was on probation, according to court records. He was charged for possession of a controlled substance, a class B misdemeanor, in the 1st District Court, and plead guilty in […]

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Jamaal Evans, a Utah State University player who was charged with two first-degree sex-crime felonies Thursday, has a prior conviction for possessing marijuana in February and was on probation, according to court records.

He was charged for possession of a controlled substance, a class B misdemeanor, in the 1st District Court, and plead guilty in March. He has a plea in abeyance agreement for the charge and the tracking review date for the agreement is March 7, 2019, according to court documents. 

Evans was charged with first-degree rape and first-degree forcible sodomy, both felonies, after a woman said she was raped at at an off-campus party the night of June 17 and the early morning of June 18.

That same day, the Logan Police Department responded to a call from the Cache Valley Hospital after a patient receiving a sexual-assault exam asked the hospital to call police.

The woman was interviewed by police on June 18 and said she began drinking vodka with a friend at the party, according to the affidavit of probable cause police report.

The report stated the next thing the woman remembered was waking up in the shower when she struck her head on a metal rack hanging over the shower head, and she said she remembered hearing Evans ask her if she “was good.” The report states that her last memory is waking up in her friend’s bed the next morning at their residence.

The next day, an interview with the woman’s friend was conducted, in which she gave her account of the night’s events.

The report states that the friend said she became concerned when Evans and the woman did not return to the basement after the woman had left with Evans to go upstairs to the kitchen. Three other party guests helped the friend search for the woman and Evans. The report said the group searched outside the house but didn’t search the bedrooms because they thought residents of the house were sleeping in them. The report continues, saying the friend then sent text messages to the woman that were left unanswered and after she found the woman’s phone unattended in the basement, she began texting Evans.

According to the report, Evans didn’t respond to the friends text message initially but then sent a text back saying “hold up” and “we good.”

The report continues saying the friend then heard a shower turn on upstairs and went upstairs to discover one of the bedroom doors now open with a light on. The friend observed vomit all over the bed, the floor and Evans shirt. The friend then attempted to enter the bathroom nearby but the door was locked, and the report states Evans was telling the friend through the door that “she did not need to be there and that they were okay.”

The friend, in an attempt to trick Evans into opening the door, told him she would be going back downstairs, but she then waited by the door. Evans opened the door and “peeked his head out the door as if to see if she was still there,” the report states, and the friend said she then forced her way into the bathroom.

“(The friend) stated she found (the woman) sitting on the toilet completely nude,” the report stated, and “(the friend) described (the woman) as being completely hunched over and as ‘completely incoherent.’”

The friend “began questioning (the woman) about what had occurred between she and Evans,” the report continued, and “the friend stated that (the woman) began tearing up and and telling her she did not know what was happening.”

The friend said she then went to question Evans about what had happened between the woman and him and the friend stated “Evans further described what occurred as ‘when you’re in the moment and you want what you want, you just got to do it sometimes.’” The friend continued saying Evans told her that “(the woman was sober and that ‘he gave that girl what she wanted.’”  

In a later recorded phone call conversation with Evans and the woman, the woman “accuses him of rape to which he responds that she needs to trust him because he is the only person who was there and knows what happened,” the affidavit stated.

In the police affidavit, the officer interviewed several of the party goers and they all said the woman was “obviously” too intoxicated to give consent.

Evans’ bond was originally set at a $40,000 bond, but during his initial court appearance prosecutors agreed to a reduce the bail to a $25,000 bond. As of Thursday afternoon, the Cache County Jail did not have a listed inmate under Evans’ date of birth.

Court documents indicate that Evans is on pretrial supervision with Professional Probation Services, Inc. The probation includes no alcohol or illegal drugs, no contact with the alleged victim and he must report to PPSI immediately upon release from custody.

Evans’ next court appearance, for the two felony charges, is scheduled July 10 before Judge Brian Cannell. Evans noted he does not have money to hire his own attorney and will be appointed a public defender, according to court records.

Evans signed with Utah State’s football team Feb. 1, 2017.

laurenmarie.bennett@aggiemail.usu.edu

@laurmarben


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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2018/06/30/usu-football-player-charged-with-2-felonies-has-prior-drug-charge-the-utah-statesman/feed/ 0 4288 49ers star Reuben Foster charged with 3 felonies in domestic violence case https://www.badsporters.com/2018/04/12/49ers-star-reuben-foster-charged-with-3-felonies-in-domestic-violence-case/ https://www.badsporters.com/2018/04/12/49ers-star-reuben-foster-charged-with-3-felonies-in-domestic-violence-case/#respond Thu, 12 Apr 2018 22:46:01 +0000 http://www.badsporters.com/?p=3561 CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the photos on a mobile device SAN JOSE — Two months after his arrest in Los Gatos, Santa Clara County prosecutors have filed multiple felony charges against San Francisco 49ers star linebacker Reuben Foster, contending that he “dragged” his live-in girlfriend “by her hair, physically threw her […]

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SAN JOSE — Two months after his arrest in Los Gatos, Santa Clara County prosecutors have filed multiple felony charges against San Francisco 49ers star linebacker Reuben Foster, contending that he “dragged” his live-in girlfriend “by her hair, physically threw her out of the house, and punched her in the head 8 to 10 times.”

Foster, 24, was charged with felony domestic violence in the alleged Feb. 11 attack that investigators say left the 28-year-old woman with a ruptured eardrum, according to a news release from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

He also faces a related felony charge of forcefully attempting to prevent a victim from reporting a crime, as well as felony possession of an assault weapon and misdemeanor possession of a high-capacity magazine after a Sig Sauer 516 short-barreled rifle was confiscated from his home during the initial police response.

“Our focus is on holding accountable those who hurt their intimate partners,” Deputy District Attorney Kevin Smith said in a statement. “Our office handles between four and five thousand domestic violence cases each year. We only hope that this case illuminates the tragic regularity of the rest.”

Tom Steyer’s rally call for President Trump’s impeachment, teaching workers to stay safe in active-shooter situations, and San Jose’s unlikely hockey star are all featured in today’s Current.

If convicted on all charges, Foster faces a maximum sentence of more than 11 years in prison, prosecutors said. He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon, and has been free on $75,000 bail since his arrest.

Foster attorney Joshua Bentley, who has represented several 49ers players through their legal troubles — the team has led the league in player arrests since 2012 with 17 — said neither he nor Foster would be answering reporters’ questions about the charges.

“This is a process with today’s court appearance being the first step,” Bentley said in a statement. “Both Mr. Foster and myself have great respect for the court. We are most anxious to have all of the facts come out and that will happen in the courtroom, not the media.”

Outside of being released from the 49ers, any other discipline of Foster would have to come through the NFL office under its personal-conduct policy. After the charges were announced, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told this news organization, “We continue to monitor all developments in this matter which is under review of the personal conduct policy.”

The 49ers also issued a statement, and did not make any mention of intentions to cut Foster.

“The 49ers organization is aware of today’s disturbing charges regarding Reuben Foster,” the statement reads. “We will continue to follow this serious matter. Reuben is aware that his place in our organization is under great scrutiny and will depend on what is learned through the legal process.”

During last month’s NFL owners meeting in Florida, 49ers CEO Jed York couched his support of Foster.

“We’d love Reuben to be on this team, and we’d love him to participate for us,” York told NBC Sports Bay Area. “But if he’s not doing things off the field that allow us to be able to rely on him – or he’s doing something that we’re not comfortable with off the field and it’s proven that’s what’s going on — I think the guys have said then you’re just going to have to move on.”

Los Gatos-Monte Sereno police said officers were dispatched around 9:15 a.m. that day to a home on Shannon Road for a welfare check and to respond to a possible disturbance. Prosecutors added that the reported that the woman, who has been in a relationship with Foster for several years, flagged down a stranger’s car to get help calling 911.

Foster was eventually arrested without incident, and the rifle and magazine at the heart of the weapons charges were seized.

Sources familiar with the investigation told this news organization that the reported victim and Foster were arguing and that he threw her belongings onto a front walkway and balcony. At some point, she said he physically dragged her in an apparent attempt to remove her from the home. She also told police dispatchers during the 911 call that he owned multiple semiautomatic rifles, though only one was recovered.

The NFL has launched several public campaigns against domestic violence and fortified its personal-conduct policy after former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was suspended for two games for a 2014 assault on his then-fiancée, then was suspended indefinitely after security footage surfaced depicting the brutal attack.

That same year, Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy was convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, and given a 10-game suspension from the NFL that was later reduced to four games by an arbitrator after Hardy appealed. He later played with the Dallas Cowboys.

In 2014, after the Rice case, the NFL granted Commissioner Roger Goodell authority to give players a baseline six-game suspension for domestic violence allegations, even without a conviction, with the discretion to decrease or lengthen based on the circumstances of a case. That was exercised with Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott this past season.

Last offseason, the 49ers drafted Foster with the 31st overall pick in the first round, with his stock having slid amid concerns about his surgically repaired shoulder and perhaps his off-the-field issues.

Foster’s rookie season covered multiple highs and lows. An ankle sprain in the season opener kept him out five games, and a rib injury kept him out another. Off the field, he and then-teammate Ray-Ray Armstrong reportedly avoided an armed robbery at a San Francisco nightclub in October. Foster’s dominant play on the field earned him NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors for November, and his 72 tackles, in just nine games, ranked second on the 49ers behind cornerback Dontae Johnson’s 76.

While the 49ers have led the league in player arrests over the past six years, Foster is only the second player arrested since coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch assumed their roles last year.

Last April, the 49ers released Tramaine Brock hours after he was arrested for alleged domestic violence. Four months later, prosecutors declined to file charges, Brock avoided an NFL-imposed suspension, and he resumed his career with the Minnesota Vikings.

That prompt exit from the 49ers was similar to fullback Bruce Miller getting released hours after his September 2016 arrest for an alleged assault in San Francisco.

However, when Miller was charged in May 2015 with misdemeanor vandalism following a domestic incident, the 49ers took a wait-and-see approach and stated they would “monitor these legal proceedings closely.” Miller eventually pleaded no contest in August 2015 to a misdemeanor disturbing-the-peace charge and was ordered to attend domestic-violence counseling.

In an unrelated case, Foster was charged in Alabama for a second-degree marijuana possession charge in Tuscaloosa — home of his alma mater, the University of Alabama.

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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2018/04/12/49ers-star-reuben-foster-charged-with-3-felonies-in-domestic-violence-case/feed/ 0 3561 Man charged with 4 felonies in Jackson death https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/22/man-charged-with-4-felonies-in-jackson-death/ https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/22/man-charged-with-4-felonies-in-jackson-death/#respond Thu, 22 Feb 2018 03:18:38 +0000 http://www.badsporters.com/?p=2405 INDIANAPOLIS — Prosecutors filed felony charges on Wednesday against an immigrant illegally living in the U.S. who is suspected in a drunken driving crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and an Uber driver. Manuel Orrego-Savala, 37, who is from Guatemala and has twice been deported from the U.S., is charged with causing death […]

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INDIANAPOLIS — Prosecutors filed felony charges on Wednesday against an immigrant illegally living in the U.S. who is suspected in a drunken driving crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and an Uber driver.

Manuel Orrego-Savala, 37, who is from Guatemala and has twice been deported from the U.S., is charged with causing death while driving intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident. He said little during his initial court hearing, responding through an interpreter as the judge explained the proceedings and charges.

“He’s very distraught to say the least,” said his lawyer, Jorge Torres. “He’s very confused.”

Investigators said Orrego-Savala was driving the pickup truck that hit Jackson and his Uber driver, Jeffrey Monroe, while the men were standing outside Monroe’s car early Sunday along Interstate 70. Court documents allege a blood test conducted at a hospital determined Orrego-Savala had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 percent, more than double Indiana’s legal limit for driving. Jackson was 26; Monroe was 54.

The two most serious charges each carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Orrego-Savala was deported in 2007 and 2009, and was again living illegally in the U.S. at the time of the crash, according to investigators. He was charged late Tuesday by federal prosecutors with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. He faces up to 10 years in prison on that charge, which the U.S. attorney’s office said would be handled after any state charges are resolved.

President Donald Trump drew added attention to the case on Twitter, calling the crash that killed Jackson and Monroe “disgraceful.” The president also prodded Democrats to work with him on illegal immigration and border security.

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry criticized the comments, saying his office would “vigorously prosecute” the fatal crash case regardless of whether Orrego-Savala was in the country illegally.

“We are disheartened that ghoulish and inappropriate public commentary has politicized this tragedy,” the Democratic prosecutor said in a statement. “Much of such commentary, including tweets by the president, fails to acknowledge that both Edwin Jackson and Jeffrey Monroe lost their lives on Sunday. We will simply seek justice on behalf of the families of those two victims.”

Torres also said that Orrego-Savala’s immigration status has no bearing on the crash case. The attorney noted his client has been living and doing construction work in the Indianapolis area for several years.

A spokesman for Jackson’s family has said his relatives are devastated and planned no response to Trump’s tweets about the crash and the suspect’s immigration status.

“The family is in shock, as you can imagine. This obviously happened so unexpectedly,” Atlanta attorney Daniel Meachum said.

Orrego-Savala had a 2005 conviction for driving under the influence in Redwood City, California. He also has numerous other misdemeanor convictions and arrests in California and Indiana, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Nicole Alberico.

In the 2005 case, he pleaded no contest to two separate drunken driving offenses and was given a brief jail sentence, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said Tuesday.

Orrego-Savala remains jailed in Indianapolis. Federal and county prosecutors spell his name as “Orrego-Zavala” in charging documents, but his attorney said his name is spelled Orrego-Savala, a spelling listed among his aliases in the federal documents.

He appeared Tuesday before a judge who advised him of his rights. Indianapolis television station WRTV reported that Orrego-Savala told the judge through an interpreter: “I wasn’t driving the car. I don’t know why I am here.”

A police news release did not mention the presence of anyone else in the pickup truck.

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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2018/02/22/man-charged-with-4-felonies-in-jackson-death/feed/ 0 2405 Felonies down, misdemeanors up in 2017 https://www.badsporters.com/2018/01/02/felonies-down-misdemeanors-up-in-2017/ https://www.badsporters.com/2018/01/02/felonies-down-misdemeanors-up-in-2017/#respond Tue, 02 Jan 2018 23:21:22 +0000 http://www.badsporters.com/?p=1157 After an increase in 2016, felonies filed in Cleveland County declined in 2017, but misdemeanors increased. Statistics gathered from the Cleveland County court clerk’s office revealed there were 1,657 felonies filed in 2017, compared to 2,028 in 2016, and 2,149 misdemeanors, compared to 2,007 in 2016. One reason for that could be due to 58 […]

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After an increase in 2016, felonies filed in Cleveland County declined in 2017, but misdemeanors increased.

Statistics gathered from the Cleveland County court clerk’s office revealed there were 1,657 felonies filed in 2017, compared to 2,028 in 2016, and 2,149 misdemeanors, compared to 2,007 in 2016.

One reason for that could be due to 58 percent of Oklahomans approving State Question 780 in November 2016, which resulted in the reclassification of most drug possession crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. The law officially went into effect in July. Here’s a look at some notable stories from the court and courts beat in 2017:

• Cases against three former Norman North wrestlers dismissed: January — The cases against three former Norman North wrestlers accused of sexually assaulting teammates in 2016 were dismissed by Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn, who also serves as the DA for Garvin County where the charges were filed.

Originally, it was reported only the juvenile case against Sage Griffen Gandenberger was dismissed, but attorneys for the other two wrestlers, Chase Denton Smith and Hunter Oren Matthews, later confirmed the other cases were dismissed.

In April, the fourth and final wrestler involved in the alleged incident, Tanner Shane Shipman, pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor assault and battery charges and, as part of a plea deal, received a six-month deferred sentence, which ended Sept. 30.

The alleged sexual assaults took place in January 2016 when the wrestling team, which included several middle school wrestlers, was returning from a tournament in Pauls Valley.

According to a Norman Police affidavit, a 16-year-old was sexually assaulted in the back of the bus on the return trip to Norman.

Later, a 12-year-old student was grabbed and dragged to the back of the bus, the affidavit states.

In July, a civil lawsuit was filed against Shipman, Smith and Gandenberger on behalf of one of the alleged victims.

The suit claims there was a practice of hazing within the Norman North wrestling program.

A Garvin County official confirmed Friday the suit has been moved to federal court.

• Norman attorney killed in double homicide, suicide: February — A Norman man shot and killed his his estranged wife, Cayann Patterson, and the lawyer representing her in divorce proceedings.

The emergency calls for both came in quick succession. The first, at about 11:30 p.m. Feb. 7, took officers to Bryan Young’s house on Trisha Lane, where they say Timothy Michael Deffner possibly broke in before shooting Young multiple times.

Young died from his injuries after he was transported to a local hospital.

A few minutes later, the Norman Fire Department was dispatched to a reported fire in the 1000 block of West Lindsey Street, where they found Patterson’s body.

Norman Police Chief Keith Humphrey said a resident’s tip led them to Deffner, whose vehicle was found abandoned the next morning in Tecumseh by a Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Deputy.

A few hours later, law enforcement concluded their manhunt by surrounding Deffner in a Tecumseh field, where he killed himself.

An arrest warrant had been issued for him Feb. 7 on five counts of forgery, and Deffner had two pending cases related to leaving the scene of an accident and committing malicious injury to property.

He was also scheduled for a Feb. 13 conference hearing for his divorce proceedings. He had previously been arrested for possession of a controlled substance and driving with a suspended license.

Court documents also reveal deep concerns Patterson had about her estranged husband. She received a protective order against him Aug. 24, 2015. In her initial complaint, Patterson described a series of violent interactions with Deffner, writing “he hit me in the chest with a Taser/stun gun and held me up against the wall with his hands around my throat.”

Patterson claimed Deffner threatened to kill her children “and have me watch before he kills me.”

“He has said he will burn our house down,” Patterson wrote. “He hides guns throughout our house — most recently in my daughter’s room.”

The second protection order did not definitively state whether Deffner had to surrender any firearms. In the first petition, Patterson wrote Deffner had “guns that belong to my mother.”

• State senator charged with assault of teen boy: March — Former state senator Ralph Shortey was charged March 16 with three felonies following an investigation into Shortey’s actions with a teenage boy.

In Cleveland County District Court, Shortey, 35, of Oklahoma City, faced charges of engaging in child prostitution, engaging in child prostitution within 1,000 feet of a church and transporting a minor for purpose of prostitution. In light of a federal indictment in September, those charges were dismissed.

On Nov. 30, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of child sex trafficking. The offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

In exchange for Shortey’s plea, U.S. prosecutors agreed to drop three child pornography counts against him at his sentencing hearing, which is expected to occur within 90 days after the plea was made.

The incident in Moore prompted an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Moore Police Department, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Secret Service.

In December, the Moore Police Department released body cam footage of the night officers responded to Super 8 Motel in Moore, where they found Shortey with the boy.

• Former OU player charged in connection with armed robbery: April — Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn filed a felony charge of robbery with a weapon April 17 against University of Oklahoma football player Parrish Cobb in connection with a April 12 robbery at the 2900 Students Apartments complex, 2900 Oak Tree Ave.

According to a Norman police affidavit, police responded to a call of an armed robbery at an apartment. Muhammad Asim and Jan Korkmaz were inside the apartment at the time of the robbery, and they said two men had just stolen cash and marijuana from them.

The victims said one man was wearing a mask and gloves, but Cobb, 20, was not. Asim and Korkmaz said they knew Cobb and they identified him as one of the people who robbed them.

Video surveillance from the apartment complex showed a white Ford Mustang driving in the apartment parking lot at about 11 p.m.

Then, about 20 minutes later, the video shows two men exiting the vehicle wearing dark-colored hoodies. Shortly after, the video shows the same two men running back to the Mustang and leaving the parking lot.

An OU police officer discovered the Mustang seen in the video in the parking lot of the OU Traditions West Apartment complex, 2730 W. Imhoff Road.

The Mustang was parked near a white Chrysler that was registered to a man police believed to be Cobb’s father.

Officers saw, in plain sight, a BB gun located in Cobb’s vehicle, so search warrants were secured for both vehicles.

Cobb was arrested and taken to the Norman Investigations Center, where he was interviewed by Norman police detectives, the affidavit read.

Cobb was a cornerback for the University of Oklahoma football team until he was charged with first-degree aggravated robbery in January in his hometown, Waco, Texas. He was suspended indefinitely from the team shortly after that.

Oklahoma court records reveal Cobb is set to have a disposition hearing in March. At the hearing, Cobb will be able to either enter a plea to the charges, get a new disposition date or ask for a trial.

• Friendly Market saga comes to an end: May — A nearly two-year legal battle involving glass pipes came to a close at the beginning of May.

A Cleveland County jury found Friendly Market owner Robert Cox and manager and Norman City Council member Stephen Tyler Holman not guilty May 8 for multiple charges Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn filed against them following a series of store raids in 2015.

During the two raids, police seized several hundred of items they believed were drug paraphernalia, in addition to about $5,000 cash as asset forfeiture.

The now open alternative lifestyle store and pipe shop, received the seized funds in June, but roughly $15,000 in inventory — much of it glass pipes — remained in the city’s possession.

That all changed after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ordered the property to be returned in September.

The store, 301 S. Porter Ave., had its grand opening in November and is accepting customers. It’s open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Friendly Market clerks Cody Franklin and James Maxwell Walters also were charged with misdemeanor counts of possession drug paraphernalia following the Dec. 21, 2015, raid. A jury found Franklin not guilty in February. Walter’s first trial in October 2016 resulted in a mistrial.

According to testimony from Norman Police Det. Rick Newell and Chief Keith Humphrey, the case against the Friendly Market started after a resident’s complaint in 2015.

Newell said shortly after receiving the complaint, he went undercover to see what the store was selling. He found several items he believed to be drug paraphernalia.

Not long after going to the Friendly Market, he received a call from Cox asking for a meeting because Cox was concerned about Newell shutting his store down, like he had done with several others in Norman. At the May 4, 2015, meeting, Newell told Cox he needed to get rid of all the illegal items in his store and Cox obliged.

However, Newell found out a few months later that the Friendly Market went back to selling the items he told Cox to remove.

• AG files lawsuit against multiple pharmaceutical companies: June — Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter filed a lawsuit against several prominent pharmaceutical companies.

On June 30, Hunter filed a lawsuit in Cleveland County against Purdue Pharma, Allergan, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., alleging affiliates of the companies undersold the risks of addiction to Oklahomans, ultimately leading to an opioid epidemic.

“Deceptive marketing campaigns and the resulting opioid abuse and addiction epidemic caused, and continues to cause, the state of Oklahoma, its businesses, communities and citizens to bear enormous social and economic costs, including increased health care, criminal justice and lost work productivity expenses,” the suit read.

Hunter said the suit was filed in Cleveland County because his office felt the county was more representative of the general population of the state and the people who’ve been affected by opioids.

In December, Judge Thad Balkman denied the companies’ request to dismiss the lawsuit, which they filed in September in response to the state’s petition.

Balkman subsequently scheduled a conference Jan. 11, where attorneys from the parties will meet to agree on a trial date.

The state, plaintiff in the suit, said the companies violated the Oklahoma Medicaid False Claims Act, Oklahoma Medicaid Program Integrity Act, Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act and the state is seeking compensation for damages, costs and punitive damages.

Helping Hunter represent the state will be the Whitten Burrage law firm of Oklahoma City; attorney Glenn Coffee of Oklahoma City; and Nix, Patterson & Roach LLP, a firm based in Austin.

Burrage, whose family has been directly affected by opioid use, said the companies should be required to compensate the state and its taxpayers for the tremendous burden and heartbreak opioids have caused.

• OHP Trooper dies following high-speed chase: July — An Oklahoma Highway Patrolman lost his life following a July 14 wreck.

OHP Lt. Heath Meyer was struck by another OHP vehicle while outside his patrol car during a high speed chase that ended in Moore, according to OHP.

The suspect in the pursuit, D’Angelo Ladon Burgess, 28, faces charges of first-degree murder endangering others while eluding, possessing marijuana and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with the trooper’s death.

Oklahoma court records reveal Burgess is set to appear before Judge Steve Stice for a preliminary hearing March 2. At the hearing, the state will have to show there is probable cause for the case to continue making its way through the court system.

During a press conference in July, lead investigator Capt. Ronnie Hampton said Meyer was hit by the patrol vehicle while setting up spike strips, or stop sticks, on Interstate 35 near Northwest 27th Street in Moore.

Hampton said Burgess was able to avoid the spike strips and continued northbound.

Trooper’s Rodney Rideaux and Clint Painter then attempted to do the same but collided in the process. Then, Painter’s cruiser struck Meyer while he was outside of his vehicle.

Family, friends and guests gathered July 31 at the University of Oklahoma’s Lloyd Noble Center to honor Meyer.

“Heath was a good man, and that’s why so many people from all over Oklahoma and the United States of America are here honoring him today,” said Assistant Adjutant Brig. Gen. Michael C. Thompson. “His life had purpose; it had influence. His life was well-lived.”

Thompson served as the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety commissioner at the time of Meyer’s death.

• Reserve deputy released after controversial social media post: August — Former Cleveland County Sheriff Joe Lester dismissed reserve deputy Ken Coartney after Coartney made a controversial post on Facebook that bashed several groups.

The post which read, “the new generation is filled with lib tards, transvestites, gays and sissies who need a safe room,” prompted an internal investigation by Lester’s office.

Not even two months later, Lester resigned and dismissed his lawsuit against the county commissioners.

Then-Cleveland County project manager and former Norman Police Officer Todd Gibson was chosen to fill the void and be interim sheriff.

• Nolen found guilty in murder case: September — The more than three-year first-degree murder case against Alton Nolen came to an end after a Cleveland County jury found him guilty for the 2014 beheading death of Colleen Hufford.

On Sept. 29, the 12-person jury, made up of eight men and four women, convicted Nolen and recommended he receive the death penalty for his crimes, which include the murder and several assaults on other coworkers — a recommendation Cleveland County Judge Lori Walkley accepted in December.

“I can’t bring Colleen back, and it’s unfortunate that another life will be taken,” Walkley said. “[Nolen], may God have mercy on your soul.”

Walkley set Nolen’s execution date for Feb. 14, but it will be stayed by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.

According to Oklahoma Department of Corrections records, Nolen, 33, will join the 48 other convicted murderers who are on Oklahoma’s death row.

According to a Moore Police affidavit, Nolen had been fired from his production line job prior to the incident due to a complaint at the business. He entered the front office Sept. 25, 2014, with a knife, stabbing coworkers and beheading Hufford, before he was shot by company executive and Oklahoma County Sheriff’s reserve deputy Mark Vaughan.

Nolen’s trial lasted about a month, which included two weeks of detailed evidence and testimony about the attack, including how Hufford fought for her life.

“She had several cuts on her hands that indicated that she tried to defend herself,” Clay Nichols of the State Medical Examiner’s Office said. “There was a struggle and she tried her best to ward off the attack.”

It took a little more than two hours for the jury to find Nolen guilty on all counts. The jury recommended multiple life sentences for the five assault with weapon charges Nolen faced in connection with the attack, but his punishment in regard to the first-degree murder charge had to wait.

The defense claimed Nolen was intellectually disabled and, under Oklahoma law, could not be sentenced to death.

On Oct. 10, the jury unanimously agreed that Nolen was not intellectually disabled and was eligible to receive the death penalty.

• Jury convicts Noble day care owner of murder: October — A Cleveland County jury convicted a former Noble day care owner of the the first-degree murder of a 5-month-old baby.

In October, the 12-person jury, made up of five men and seven women, convicted Melissa Dawn Clark, 47, for the first-degree murder of 5-month-old Braelyn Zachary and recommended she serve life in prison with the possibility of parole. About two months later, Judge Steven Kessinger, of Pontotoc County, adopted a Cleveland County jury’s recommendation.

According to an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation affidavit, Clark was running an in-home day care in Noble, where she cared for Zachary, along with five other children, ranging from 11 months to 5 years old.

Noble police received a report of an unresponsive child, later identified as Braelyn, on July 19, 2016, at Clark’s residence, the affidavit read.

During an interview with OSBI agents Lynda Stevens and Steve Tanner and Department of Human Services representative Krystal Adams the day after the incident occurred, Clark said she accidentally dropped Braelyn on the ground while she was making a cup of coffee.

After Clark picked up the girl, she said she noticed the child had a small, red mark on the back of the her head, but nothing appeared to be seriously wrong with Braelyn. Clark said about two hours later, she heard the girl making a strange sound that sounded similar to choking on fluids. Clark claimed she subsequently began CPR.

However, Clark backtracked and said prior to hearing Braelyn choking, she tossed the girl into a “bouncy” seat, and the child hit the bar on the seat and fell to the floor.

• Judge sentences man to 3,000 years in prison: November — Cleveland County Judge Thad Balkman sentenced a man convicted of sexually assaulting three children to serve more than 3,000 years in prison.

“The crimes committed by Chadwell go against the peace and dignity of the state of Oklahoma. They are vile, lewd, obscene, lascivious and graphic,” Balkman said.

A jury found Daniel Ryan Chadwell, 34, guilty in September on 38 out of 40 felony counts and recommended punishment ranging from 25 to 100 years in prison for each count, totaling 3,025 years.

According to a Cleveland County probable cause affidavit, at the time of the incidents, Chadwell was married to two of the victims’ mother.

The victim’s mother reported to Oklahoma City Police detectives that her daughter told her Chadwell had inappropriately touched her.

Chadwell’s first trial in 2016 ended in a mistrial. He was originally charged with 40 felony county, including 36 counts of child sexual abuse and four counts of lewd acts with a child under 16. However, the charges were amended before the beginning of this trial to reflect 40 counts of lewd acts with a child under 16.

During Chadwell’s second trial, all three victims testified about their experiences, including the girl who was the primary target of Chadwell’s abuse.

United States Secret Service agent and Moore Police Det. Chris Lamar testified during the trial that there was evidence of child pornography on Chadwell’s home computer and his personal tablet, as well.

• DA determines rape charges “not warranted” against OU running back: December — A 23-year-old University of Oklahoma undergraduate student accused university running back Rodney Anderson of sexually assaulting her.

Courtney Thornton claimed Anderson had assaulted her during a sexual encounter at her apartment. Oklahoma court records reveal an emergency protective order was then issued Dec. 4 against Anderson.

Thornton later dropped the protective order she brought against Anderson because she had to serve military orders, according to court documents.

Her decision to do so came one day after Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn chose not to pursue charges.

A Norman Police Department investigation uncovered friendly text messages between Anderson and Thornton, which were exchanged after Nov. 16, the day the woman later told police Anderson had assaulted her.

Accounts from three of Thornton’s friends were inconsistent with Thornton’s initial statement to police and supported Anderson’s attorney’s claim that the accusation came after the Sooner running back chose not to pursue a relationship with Thornton.

Based on information received from Norman police regarding Anderson’s case, “definitely, charges are not warranted under these circumstances,” Mashburn said.

Transcript Editor Caleb Slinkard, OU Sports Writer Tyler Palmateer and Transcript News Editor Mack Burke contributed to this report. 

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]]> https://www.badsporters.com/2018/01/02/felonies-down-misdemeanors-up-in-2017/feed/ 0 1157 Felonies decrease, misdemeanors increase in county during 2017 https://www.badsporters.com/2018/01/02/felonies-decrease-misdemeanors-increase-in-county-during-2017/ https://www.badsporters.com/2018/01/02/felonies-decrease-misdemeanors-increase-in-county-during-2017/#respond Tue, 02 Jan 2018 13:37:42 +0000 http://www.badsporters.com/?p=1117 After an increase in 2016, felonies filed in Cleveland County declined in 2017, but misdemeanors increased. Statistics gathered from the Cleveland County court clerk’s office revealed there were 1,657 felonies filed in 2017, compared to 2,028 in 2016, and 2,149 misdemeanors, compared to 2,007 in 2016. One reason for that could be due to 58 […]

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After an increase in 2016, felonies filed in Cleveland County declined in 2017, but misdemeanors increased.

Statistics gathered from the Cleveland County court clerk’s office revealed there were 1,657 felonies filed in 2017, compared to 2,028 in 2016, and 2,149 misdemeanors, compared to 2,007 in 2016.

One reason for that could be due to 58 percent of Oklahomans approving State Question 780 in November 2016, which resulted in the reclassification of most drug possession crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. The law officially went into effect in July. Here’s a look at some notable stories from the court and courts beat in 2017:

• Cases against three former Norman North wrestlers dismissed: January — The cases against three former Norman North wrestlers accused of sexually assaulting teammates in 2016 were dismissed by Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn, who also serves as the DA for Garvin County where the charges were filed.

Originally, it was reported only the juvenile case against Sage Griffen Gandenberger was dismissed, but attorneys for the other two wrestlers, Chase Denton Smith and Hunter Oren Matthews, later confirmed the other cases were dismissed.

In April, the fourth and final wrestler involved in the alleged incident, Tanner Shane Shipman, pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor assault and battery charges and, as part of a plea deal, received a six-month deferred sentence, which ended Sept. 30.

The alleged sexual assaults took place in January 2016 when the wrestling team, which included several middle school wrestlers, was returning from a tournament in Pauls Valley.

According to a Norman Police affidavit, a 16-year-old was sexually assaulted in the back of the bus on the return trip to Norman.

Later, a 12-year-old student was grabbed and dragged to the back of the bus, the affidavit states.

In July, a civil lawsuit was filed against Shipman, Smith and Gandenberger on behalf of one of the alleged victims.

The suit claims there was a practice of hazing within the Norman North wrestling program.

A Garvin County official confirmed Friday the suit has been moved to federal court.

 

• Norman attorney killed in double homicide, suicide: February — A Norman man shot and killed his his estranged wife, Cayann Patterson, and the lawyer representing her in divorce proceedings.

The emergency calls for both came in quick succession. The first, at about 11:30 p.m. Feb. 7, took officers to Bryan Young’s house on Trisha Lane, where they say Timothy Michael Deffner possibly broke in before shooting Young multiple times.

Young died from his injuries after he was transported to a local hospital.

A few minutes later, the Norman Fire Department was dispatched to a reported fire in the 1000 block of West Lindsey Street, where they found Patterson’s body.

Norman Police Chief Keith Humphrey said a resident’s tip led them to Deffner, whose vehicle was found abandoned the next morning in Tecumseh by a Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Deputy.

A few hours later, law enforcement concluded their manhunt by surrounding Deffner in a Tecumseh field, where he killed himself.

An arrest warrant had been issued for him Feb. 7 on five counts of forgery, and Deffner had two pending cases related to leaving the scene of an accident and committing malicious injury to property.

He was also scheduled for a Feb. 13 conference hearing for his divorce proceedings. He had previously been arrested for possession of a controlled substance and driving with a suspended license.

Court documents also reveal deep concerns Patterson had about her estranged husband. She received a protective order against him Aug. 24, 2015. In her initial complaint, Patterson described a series of violent interactions with Deffner, writing “he hit me in the chest with a Taser/stun gun and held me up against the wall with his hands around my throat.”

Patterson claimed Deffner threatened to kill her children “and have me watch before he kills me.”

“He has said he will burn our house down,” Patterson wrote. “He hides guns throughout our house — most recently in my daughter’s room.”

The second protection order did not definitively state whether Deffner had to surrender any firearms. In the first petition, Patterson wrote Deffner had “guns that belong to my mother.”

 

• State senator charged with assault of teen boy: March — Former state senator Ralph Shortey was charged March 16 with three felonies following an investigation into Shortey’s actions with a teenage boy.

In Cleveland County District Court, Shortey, 35, of Oklahoma City, faced charges of engaging in child prostitution, engaging in child prostitution within 1,000 feet of a church and transporting a minor for purpose of prostitution. In light of a federal indictment in September, those charges were dismissed.

On Nov. 30, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of child sex trafficking. The offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

In exchange for Shortey’s plea, U.S. prosecutors agreed to drop three child pornography counts against him at his sentencing hearing, which is expected to occur within 90 days after the plea was made.

The incident in Moore prompted an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Moore Police Department, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Secret Service.

In December, the Moore Police Department released body cam footage of the night officers responded to Super 8 Motel in Moore, where they found Shortey with the boy.

 

• Former OU player charged in connection with armed robbery: April — Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn filed a felony charge of robbery with a weapon April 17 against University of Oklahoma football player Parrish Cobb in connection with a April 12 robbery at the 2900 Students Apartments complex, 2900 Oak Tree Ave.

According to a Norman police affidavit, police responded to a call of an armed robbery at an apartment. Muhammad Asim and Jan Korkmaz were inside the apartment at the time of the robbery, and they said two men had just stolen cash and marijuana from them.

The victims said one man was wearing a mask and gloves, but Cobb, 20, was not. Asim and Korkmaz said they knew Cobb and they identified him as one of the people who robbed them.

Video surveillance from the apartment complex showed a white Ford Mustang driving in the apartment parking lot at about 11 p.m.

Then, about 20 minutes later, the video shows two men exiting the vehicle wearing dark-colored hoodies. Shortly after, the video shows the same two men running back to the Mustang and leaving the parking lot.

An OU police officer discovered the Mustang seen in the video in the parking lot of the OU Traditions West Apartment complex, 2730 W. Imhoff Road.

The Mustang was parked near a white Chrysler that was registered to a man police believed to be Cobb’s father.

Officers saw, in plain sight, a BB gun located in Cobb’s vehicle, so search warrants were secured for both vehicles.

Cobb was arrested and taken to the Norman Investigations Center, where he was interviewed by Norman police detectives, the affidavit read.

Cobb was a cornerback for the University of Oklahoma football team until he was charged with first-degree aggravated robbery in January in his hometown, Waco, Texas. He was suspended indefinitely from the team shortly after that.

Oklahoma court records reveal Cobb is set to have a disposition hearing in March. At the hearing, Cobb will be able to either enter a plea to the charges, get a new disposition date or ask for a trial.

 

• Friendly Market saga comes to an end: May — A nearly two-year legal battle involving glass pipes came to a close at the beginning of May.

A Cleveland County jury found Friendly Market owner Robert Cox and manager and Norman City Council member Stephen Tyler Holman not guilty May 8 for multiple charges Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn filed against them following a series of store raids in 2015.

During the two raids, police seized several hundred of items they believed were drug paraphernalia, in addition to about $5,000 cash as asset forfeiture.

The now open alternative lifestyle store and pipe shop, received the seized funds in June, but roughly $15,000 in inventory — much of it glass pipes — remained in the city’s possession.

That all changed after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ordered the property to be returned in September.

The store, 301 S. Porter Ave., had its grand opening in November and is accepting customers. It’s open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Friendly Market clerks Cody Franklin and James Maxwell Walters also were charged with misdemeanor counts of possession drug paraphernalia following the Dec. 21, 2015, raid. A jury found Franklin not guilty in February. Walter’s first trial in October 2016 resulted in a mistrial.

According to testimony from Norman Police Det. Rick Newell and Chief Keith Humphrey, the case against the Friendly Market started after a resident’s complaint in 2015.

Newell said shortly after receiving the complaint, he went undercover to see what the store was selling. He found several items he believed to be drug paraphernalia.

Not long after going to the Friendly Market, he received a call from Cox asking for a meeting because Cox was concerned about Newell shutting his store down, like he had done with several others in Norman. At the May 4, 2015, meeting, Newell told Cox he needed to get rid of all the illegal items in his store and Cox obliged.

However, Newell found out a few months later that the Friendly Market went back to selling the items he told Cox to remove.

 

• AG files lawsuit against multiple pharmaceutical companies: June — Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter filed a lawsuit against several prominent pharmaceutical companies.

On June 30, Hunter filed a lawsuit in Cleveland County against Purdue Pharma, Allergan, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., alleging affiliates of the companies undersold the risks of addiction to Oklahomans, ultimately leading to an opioid epidemic.

“Deceptive marketing campaigns and the resulting opioid abuse and addiction epidemic caused, and continues to cause, the state of Oklahoma, its businesses, communities and citizens to bear enormous social and economic costs, including increased health care, criminal justice and lost work productivity expenses,” the suit read.

Hunter said the suit was filed in Cleveland County because his office felt the county was more representative of the general population of the state and the people who’ve been affected by opioids.

In December, Judge Thad Balkman denied the companies’ request to dismiss the lawsuit, which they filed in September in response to the state’s petition.

Balkman subsequently scheduled a conference Jan. 11, where attorneys from the parties will meet to agree on a trial date.

The state, plaintiff in the suit, said the companies violated the Oklahoma Medicaid False Claims Act, Oklahoma Medicaid Program Integrity Act, Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act and the state is seeking compensation for damages, costs and punitive damages.

Helping Hunter represent the state will be the Whitten Burrage law firm of Oklahoma City; attorney Glenn Coffee of Oklahoma City; and Nix, Patterson & Roach LLP, a firm based in Austin.

Burrage, whose family has been directly affected by opioid use, said the companies should be required to compensate the state and its taxpayers for the tremendous burden and heartbreak opioids have caused.

 

• OHP Trooper dies following high-speed chase: July — An Oklahoma Highway Patrolman lost his life following a July 14 wreck.

OHP Lt. Heath Meyer was struck by another OHP vehicle while outside his patrol car during a high speed chase that ended in Moore, according to OHP.

The suspect in the pursuit, D’Angelo Ladon Burgess, 28, faces charges of first-degree murder endangering others while eluding, possessing marijuana and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with the trooper’s death.

Oklahoma court records reveal Burgess is set to appear before Judge Steve Stice for a preliminary hearing March 2. At the hearing, the state will have to show there is probable cause for the case to continue making its way through the court system.

During a press conference in July, lead investigator Capt. Ronnie Hampton said Meyer was hit by the patrol vehicle while setting up spike strips, or stop sticks, on Interstate 35 near Northwest 27th Street in Moore.

Hampton said Burgess was able to avoid the spike strips and continued northbound.

Trooper’s Rodney Rideaux and Clint Painter then attempted to do the same but collided in the process. Then, Painter’s cruiser struck Meyer while he was outside of his vehicle.

Family, friends and guests gathered July 31 at the University of Oklahoma’s Lloyd Noble Center to honor Meyer.

“Heath was a good man, and that’s why so many people from all over Oklahoma and the United States of America are here honoring him today,” said Assistant Adjutant Brig. Gen. Michael C. Thompson. “His life had purpose; it had influence. His life was well-lived.”

Thompson served as the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety commissioner at the time of Meyer’s death.

 

• Reserve deputy released after controversial social media post: August — Former Cleveland County Sheriff Joe Lester dismissed reserve deputy Ken Coartney after Coartney made a controversial post on Facebook that bashed several groups.

The post which read, “the new generation is filled with lib tards, transvestites, gays and sissies who need a safe room,” prompted an internal investigation by Lester’s office.

Not even two months later, Lester resigned and dismissed his lawsuit against the county commissioners.

Then-Cleveland County project manager and former Norman Police Officer Todd Gibson was chosen to fill the void and be interim sheriff.

 

• Nolen found guilty in murder case: September — The more than three-year first-degree murder case against Alton Nolen came to an end after a Cleveland County jury found him guilty for the 2014 beheading death of Colleen Hufford.

On Sept. 29, the 12-person jury, made up of eight men and four women, convicted Nolen and recommended he receive the death penalty for his crimes, which include the murder and several assaults on other coworkers — a recommendation Cleveland County Judge Lori Walkley accepted in December.

“I can’t bring Colleen back, and it’s unfortunate that another life will be taken,” Walkley said. “[Nolen], may God have mercy on your soul.”

Walkley set Nolen’s execution date for Feb. 14, but it will be stayed by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.

According to Oklahoma Department of Corrections records, Nolen, 33, will join the 48 other convicted murderers who are on Oklahoma’s death row.

According to a Moore Police affidavit, Nolen had been fired from his production line job prior to the incident due to a complaint at the business. He entered the front office Sept. 25, 2014, with a knife, stabbing coworkers and beheading Hufford, before he was shot by company executive and Oklahoma County Sheriff’s reserve deputy Mark Vaughan.

Nolen’s trial lasted about a month, which included two weeks of detailed evidence and testimony about the attack, including how Hufford fought for her life.

“She had several cuts on her hands that indicated that she tried to defend herself,” Clay Nichols of the State Medical Examiner’s Office said. “There was a struggle and she tried her best to ward off the attack.”

It took a little more than two hours for the jury to find Nolen guilty on all counts. The jury recommended multiple life sentences for the five assault with weapon charges Nolen faced in connection with the attack, but his punishment in regard to the first-degree murder charge had to wait.

The defense claimed Nolen was intellectually disabled and, under Oklahoma law, could not be sentenced to death.

On Oct. 10, the jury unanimously agreed that Nolen was not intellectually disabled and was eligible to receive the death penalty.

 

• Jury convicts Noble day care owner of murder: October — A Cleveland County jury convicted a former Noble day care owner of the the first-degree murder of a 5-month-old baby.

In October, the 12-person jury, made up of five men and seven women, convicted Melissa Dawn Clark, 47, for the first-degree murder of 5-month-old Braelyn Zachary and recommended she serve life in prison with the possibility of parole. About two months later, Judge Steven Kessinger, of Pontotoc County, adopted a Cleveland County jury’s recommendation.

According to an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation affidavit, Clark was running an in-home day care in Noble, where she cared for Zachary, along with five other children, ranging from 11 months to 5 years old.

Noble police received a report of an unresponsive child, later identified as Braelyn, on July 19, 2016, at Clark’s residence, the affidavit read.

During an interview with OSBI agents Lynda Stevens and Steve Tanner and Department of Human Services representative Krystal Adams the day after the incident occurred, Clark said she accidentally dropped Braelyn on the ground while she was making a cup of coffee.

After Clark picked up the girl, she said she noticed the child had a small, red mark on the back of the her head, but nothing appeared to be seriously wrong with Braelyn. Clark said about two hours later, she heard the girl making a strange sound that sounded similar to choking on fluids. Clark claimed she subsequently began CPR.

However, Clark backtracked and said prior to hearing Braelyn choking, she tossed the girl into a “bouncy” seat, and the child hit the bar on the seat and fell to the floor.

 

• Judge sentences man to 3,000 years in prison: November — Cleveland County Judge Thad Balkman sentenced a man convicted of sexually assaulting three children to serve more than 3,000 years in prison.

“The crimes committed by Chadwell go against the peace and dignity of the state of Oklahoma. They are vile, lewd, obscene, lascivious and graphic,” Balkman said.

A jury found Daniel Ryan Chadwell, 34, guilty in September on 38 out of 40 felony counts and recommended punishment ranging from 25 to 100 years in prison for each count, totaling 3,025 years.

According to a Cleveland County probable cause affidavit, at the time of the incidents, Chadwell was married to two of the victims’ mother.

The victim’s mother reported to Oklahoma City Police detectives that her daughter told her Chadwell had inappropriately touched her.

Chadwell’s first trial in 2016 ended in a mistrial. He was originally charged with 40 felony county, including 36 counts of child sexual abuse and four counts of lewd acts with a child under 16. However, the charges were amended before the beginning of this trial to reflect 40 counts of lewd acts with a child under 16.

During Chadwell’s second trial, all three victims testified about their experiences, including the girl who was the primary target of Chadwell’s abuse.

United States Secret Service agent and Moore Police Det. Chris Lamar testified during the trial that there was evidence of child pornography on Chadwell’s home computer and his personal tablet, as well.

 

• DA determines rape charges “not warranted” against OU running back: December — A 23-year-old University of Oklahoma undergraduate student accused university running back Rodney Anderson of sexually assaulting her.

Courtney Thornton claimed Anderson had assaulted her during a sexual encounter at her apartment. Oklahoma court records reveal an emergency protective order was then issued Dec. 4 against Anderson.

Thornton later dropped the protective order she brought against Anderson because she had to serve military orders, according to court documents.

Her decision to do so came one day after Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn chose not to pursue charges.

A Norman Police Department investigation uncovered friendly text messages between Anderson and Thornton, which were exchanged after Nov. 16, the day the woman later told police Anderson had assaulted her.

Accounts from three of Thornton’s friends were inconsistent with Thornton’s initial statement to police and supported Anderson’s attorney’s claim that the accusation came after the Sooner running back chose not to pursue a relationship with Thornton.

Based on information received from Norman police regarding Anderson’s case, “definitely, charges are not warranted under these circumstances,” Mashburn said.

Transcript Editor Caleb Slinkard, OU Sports Writer Tyler Palmateer and Transcript News Editor Mack Burke contributed to this report. 

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