K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For March13th, 2018 – Morning

A FORMER WYOMING RESIDENT LAST WEEK PLEADED GUILTY TO SEVERAL CHARGES IN THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG CONSPIRACY CASE INVOLVING A FORMER CASPER DOCTOR AND HIS WIFE.

FEDERAL COURT RECORDS SAY PAUL BELAND ENTERED THE CHANGE OF PLEA DURING A HEARING BEFORE JUDGE ALAN JOHNSON.

SPECIFICALLY, BELAND PLEADED GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY TO DISPENSE AND DISTRIBUTE THE OPIOID PAIN MEDICINE OXYCODONE AND OTHER DRUGS RESULTING IN DEATH; AND TO TWO COUNTS OF UNLAWFUL USE OF A COMMUNICATION FACILITY.

AS PART OF THE PLEA DEAL, THE GOVERNMENT WILL DISMISS THREE COUNTS OF POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE OXYCODONE.

BELAND COULD RECEIVE A MAXIMUM OF 28 YEARS ON ALL COUNTS, WITH THE CRIME OF DISPENSING THE DRUGS RESULTING IN DEATH CARRYING A MINIMUM 20-YEAR SENTENCE UNDER FEDERAL SENTENCING GUIDELINES.

HE REMAINS IN CUSTODY.

BELAND WAS AN EARLY TARGET OF A U.S. DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION'S INVESTIGATION OF FORMER CASPER DR. SHAKEEL KAHN WHO WROTE LARGE PRESCRIPTIONS FOR CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.

FROM JANUARY THROUGH AUGUST 2016, KAHN AND HIS WIFE, LYN, RECEIVED WIRE TRANSFERS TOTALING NEARLY $10,000 FROM BELAND, WHO WIRED THEM FROM WHERE HE LIVED IN MASSACHUSETTS.

INVESTIGATORS ANALYZED BELAND’S PHONE RECORDS AND FOUND HE WAS ALSO LINKED TO A HEROIN SUPPLIER IN MASSACHUSETTS.

BELAND ALSO RECRUITED PEOPLE FROM HIS FAMILY AND REFERRED THEM TO KAHN, AND HE WOULD FLY FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO CASPER TO OBTAIN PRESCRIPTIONS OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES FROM KAHN.

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A WOMAN AND HER DOG WERE HELPED TO SHORE AFTER GETTING STUCK ON THE ICE AT ALCOVA LAKE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

ACCORDING TO AN INCIDENT REPORT FROM THE NATRONA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, A SERGEANT WENT OUT TO ALCOVA AT ABOUT 3 P.M. AFTER THE WOMAN AND DOG WERE REPORTED TO BE STUCK ON THE ICE SOME 400 FEET FROM SHORE NEAR THE CASPER WATER SKI CLUB.

THE WOMAN'S HUSBAND SAID THEIR DOG HAD RUN OUT ONTO THE ICE AFTER SOME GEESE. THE DOG FELL THROUGH THE ICE, SO THE WOMAN FOUND A KAYAK AND PUSHED IT OUT TO WHERE THE DOG HAD FALLEN THROUGH.

THE WOMAN WAS ABLE TO GET THE DOG INTO THE KAYAK WITH HER, BUT COULDN'T GET BACK TO SHORE.

THE RESPONDING SERGEANT TRIED TO LAUNCH THE AIR BOAT, BUT COULDN'T GET FAR ENOUGH INTO THE LAKE TO GET THE BOAT OFF THE TRAILER. WHILE TRYING TO GET THE BOAT UNLOADED, THE SERGEANT'S VEHICLE AND BOAT TRAILER GOT STUCK IN THE LAKE BED.

ATTEMPTS TO MOVE THE VEHICLE AND LAUNCH THE BOAT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, SO THE SERGEANT DECIDED TO DON AN ICE RESCUE SUIT AND WALK OUT TO THE KAYAK.

ONCE REACHING THE WOMAN AND DOG, THE SERGEANT PUSHED THE KAYAK ACROSS THE ICE AND A SMALL AREA OF OPEN WATER. ONCE THEY WERE CLOSER TO SHORE, ANOTHER DEPUTY AND A GAME WARDEN USED A ROPE AND HELPED PULL THE WOMAN AND DOG THE REST OF THE WAY IN.

THE WOMAN WAS A LITTLE COLD, HAVING SAT IN THE KAYAK WITH A WET DOG, BUT DIDN'T NEED ANY MEDICAL ATTENTION.

THE TWO DEPUTIES AND GAME WARDEN LATER WERE ABLE TO GET THE BOAT TRAILER AND VEHICLE OUT OF THE LAKE BED.
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THE WYOMING LEGISLATURE HAS EXTENDED ITS SESSION INTO THIS WEEK AFTER FAILING TO AGREE ON HOW TO FINANCE K-12 PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ON STATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WILL RECONVENE WEDNESDAY EVENING AND THE STATE SENATE WILL RETURN THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

LAWMAKERS WERE ABLE TO COME TO AGREEMENT ON A NEW TWO-YEAR BUDGET, BUT EDUCATION FUNDING AND CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION WERE CONSIDERED IN SEPARATE PROPOSALS.

THE TWO CHAMBERS WERE UNABLE TO COME TO A CONSENSUS ON THE FINAL DAY OF THE SESSION SATURDAY ON THE TWO ISSUES.

HOWEVER, LAWMAKERS HAVE THREE DAYS LEFT OVER FROM LAST YEAR'S SESSION THAT ALLOWS THEM TO CONTINUE MEETING THIS WEEK WITHOUT HAVING TO GO INTO A SPECIAL SESSION.

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GILLETTE, WYO. (AP) - A WOMAN WHO AUTHORITIES SAY LIED TO POLICE WHILE THEY WERE INVESTIGATING THE DISAPPEARANCES OF TWO SOUTHERN WYOMING MEN HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO TWO MISDEMEANORS.

24-YEAR-OLD KYLEE COLLINS ON MONDAY PLEADED GUILTY TO TWO COUNTS OF INTERFERENCE WITH A PEACE OFFICER.

COLLINS TOLD THE COURT THAT SHE FAILED TO PROVIDE INVESTIGATORS WITH INFORMATION THAT HER BOYFRIEND HAD HIDDEN THE BODIES OF 38-YEAR-OLD JODY FORTUNA AND 33-YEAR-OLD PHILLIP BREWER IN SEPTEMBER 2016.

HER FORMER BOYFRIEND 37-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL MONTANO IN JANUARY PLEADED NO CONTEST TO TWO COUNTS OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER AND GUILTY TO TWO COUNTS OF MUTILATION OF DEAD BODIES.

AUTHORITIES SAY THE DISMEMBERED BODIES OF THE TWO MEN WERE FOUND IN MONTANO'S PICKUP TRUCK.

COLLINS IS SCHEDULED TO BE SENTENCED IN LATE APRIL.