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Trial date to be reset for man accused of killing football player

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 06:28:02 +0000

Tim Hrenchir @timhrenchir

Monday

Jun 15, 2020 at 1:38 PM

Shawnee County District Court officials intend to reschedule the jury trial that was set to begin next month for Francisco A. “Franky” Mendez, who is charged with last year’s first-degree murder of Washburn University football player Dwane Simmons.

The case against Mendez is scheduled to be taken up at 2 p.m. Thursday on a district court criminal assignment docket, according to information posted on the court’s website.

Mendez, 19, faces charges that include first-degree murder in the April 2019 gunshot slaying of Simmons, 23, near 1287 S.W. Lane. He also is charged with attempted murder in that same shooting of Simmons’ best friend, Corey Ballentine, a former Washburn player who had been drafted hours earlier by the NFL’s New York Giants.

Simmons died at the scene. Ballentine survived after being shot once in the buttocks. He played this past season for the Giants.

Shawnee County District Judge Cheryl Rios found Mendez competent to stand trial on May 9 and tentatively scheduled his trial to begin July 13.

In addition to the charges linked to the death of Simmons and the wounding of Ballentine, Mendez is charged with:

• Three counts of attempted murder linked to the same incident regarding shots fired at Washburn football players Channon Ross, Kevin Neal Jr. and James Letcher Jr., who weren’t hit.

• Seven counts of aggravated robbery victimizing other people. The counts were linked to a carjacking committed April 27 at 2130 S.W. Fairlawn Road and an April 30 robbery of cash and cellphones committed near 1300 S.W. Clay.

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Hearing reset for USD football player accused of rape

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 17:47:01 +0000

VERMILLION, S.D. — A University of South Dakota football player accused of rape remains scheduled to stand trial next month.

A motion hearing scheduled for Thursday in Dale Williamson Jr.’s case did not take place. A status hearing has been set for April 13, and an April 30 trial date remains on the court calendar, Clay County Circuit Court officials said.

Williamson, 21, of Texarkana, Texas, has pleaded not guilty to attempted second-degree rape in connection with an Oct. 22 incident at an off-campus residence in Vermillion and second-degree rape for a March 3, 2017, incident involving another woman.

A second player charged in connection with the October incident has pleaded guilty to sexual contact without consent with a person capable of consenting.

Danny Rambo Jr., 21, of Donaldsonville, Georgia, was sentenced Feb. 9 to 180 days in jail. He is scheduled to serve 10 days beginning Nov. 1, and have the remaining 170 days suspended, provided he meets several conditions, including completion of counseling and not possessing or consuming alcohol, marijuana or other controlled substances, for two years. He also must pay a $2,000 fine.

Both players were accused of entering a room while their teammate Adam Harris was having sex with a woman and sexually assaulting her.

According to court documents, Rambo approached the victim from behind without her knowing and inserted his fingers into her vagina.

Williamson twice tried to force the victim to perform a sex act with him, court documents said, and on one of those occasions grabbed the woman by the hair on the back of her head.

Williamson has denied any involvement and told police he was not in the room.

Rambo, a junior defensive back, and Williamson, a sophomore defensive back, both were suspended from the team in October and did not play the remainder of the season. They are not currently listed on the player roster on the team’s website.

Bryan Boettcher, assistant athletic director for sports information, said their status has not changed.

“Their suspensions continue,” Boettcher said.

Harris, a senior defensive back and team captain from Clearwater, Florida, also was suspended. He was not arrested.

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Detention hearing reset for former Barnstormers AAU coach charged with child porn

admin — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 18:45:52 +0000

CEDAR RAPIDS — A federal judge reset a detention hearing Thursday for a former Iowa Barnstormers coach, who is charged with secretly recording three naked teen players.

Greg Stephen, 42, was arrested Tuesday. Police were initially tipped off when after a contractor who was working in Stephen’s Monticello home about a month ago discovered a recording device in the former youth basketball coach’s bathroom and became suspicious.

Stephen was charged by information Tuesday with one count of knowingly transporting child pornography, and a judge ordered that he would remain in jail pending a detention hearing set for today.

His lawyer asked that the hearing be delayed so Luis Rosell, a forensic psychologist in Mt. Pleasant, could testify. The hearing will determine if Stephen will be released pending trial.

Rosell, a former sex offender treatment director for Iowa Department of Corrections and now in private practice, specializes in treatment of sex offenders and those charged with child pornography. He frequently conducts evaluations for state and federal court proceedings, according to his resume.

U.S. Chief Magistrate CJ Williams reset the detention hearing for 1 p.m. next Wednesday.

The Barnstormers, an amateur athletic union organization, severed ties with Stephen the day authorities searched his house. Organizers since have met with parents and players and agreed to move forward.

According to court records, Stephen, admitted he made the videos but said he did so for a non-sexual reason. He told investigators wanted to look at the “development of the kids how they were growing and developing,” according to the 17-page criminal complaint affidavit filed by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Stephen told DCI Special Agent Ryan Kedley that he might have been “a little bit” aroused when viewing the videos, but “in the same way you would be aroused when you view anyone naked,” according to the complaint.

The former coach denied having any sexual relationship with past for current teen players.

The investigation began Feb. 18 when the contractor, identified in documents as “V.E.” contacted Monticello police.

The tipster told police, while working at Stephen’s house, he found a USB charger equipped with a video recorder in the bathroom. Authorities said he took the device home to inspect the stored files.

V.E. said the digital files showed what appeared to be teenage boys in a hotel bathroom, disrobing and going in and out of the shower, the complaint states. The device was turned over to the Iowa DCI on Feb. 21 and later search warrants were obtained on Stephen’s home in Monticello and cabin in Delhi, as well as his vehicles.

Stephen, general manager of Stephen Moters, also told investigators the videos were made in hotel room in Illinois Jan. 26-27 when he and boys went to a Chicago Bulls game. None of the boys, ages 12, 13, and 14, were aware he was recording them

A current Barnstormers player told DCI that Stephen was sexually touching himself while sharing a bed with the player during a basketball trip to Las Vegas in 2016.

Prosecutors will convene a grand jury to indict Stephen for the felony, which has a mandatory five year and up to 20 years in prison upon a conviction.

l Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com

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