K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For May 3rd, 2018 – Morning

THE WYOMING SUPREME COURT, WITHOUT COMMENT, DENIED A PETITION FROM CASPER BUSINESSMAN TONY CERCY TO EITHER ACQUIT HIM, OR LIMIT EVIDENCE AT A RETRIAL, OF A CHARGE OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT.

CERCY WAS ACQUITTED AT THE END OF A TRIAL IN NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT IN FEBRUARY OF CHARGES OF FIRST- AND SECOND-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A THEN 20-YEAR-OLD WOMAN AT ALCOVA LAKE LAST JUNE.

HOWEVER, THE JURY COULD NOT REACH A VERDICT IN THE CHARGE OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT, SO DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DANIEL FORGEY DECLARED A MISTRIAL.

IN MARCH, NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIKE BLONIGEN SAID HE INTENDED TO RETRY CERCY ON THAT COUNT.

CERCY RESPONDED, ASKING FORGEY EITHER TO ACQUIT HIM ON THE THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR IF THE CASE WOULD BE RETRIED, TO LIMIT THE JURY TO CONSIDER ONLY CERTAIN EVIDENCE.

FORGEY DENIED THE REQUEST.

CERCY THEN FILED THE PETITION WITH THE WYOMING SUPREME COURT.

BUT WYOMING ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL BENJAMIN FISCHER RESPONDED THAT GRANTING A WRIT OF REVIEW IS LIMITED TO RARE AND UNUSUAL CASES, AND CERCY PRESENTED NO QUESTION FOR REVIEW THAT RISES TO A CONSTITUTIONAL MAGNITUDE.

FISHER ADDED CERCY HAS OTHER OTHER REMEDIES TO REVIEW HIS ISSUES AND PROTECT HIS RIGHTS.
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A CASPER MAN WAS SENTENCED WEDNESDAY TO PRISON FOR HIS INVOLVEMENT IN A HEROIN AND METHAMPHETAMINE DISTRIBUTION RING WHICH OPERATED IN NATRONA COUNTY.

DISTRICT JUDGE DANIEL FORGEY SENTENCED 39-YEAR-OLD ROBERT SAMUEL LAWSON TO A TERM OF THREE AND A HALF TO SIX YEARS IN PRISON FOR HIS CONVICTION ON ONE COUNT OF CONSPIRACY TO DELIVER METHAMPHETAMINE.

LAWSON HAD PREVIOUSLY PLEADED GUILTY TO THE CHARGE AS PART OF A PLEA DEAL WITH PROSECUTORS. IN EXCHANGE, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY TREVOR SCHENK AGREED TO ARGUE FOR A PRISON TERM OF NO LONGER THAN SIX YEARS.

CHARGING PAPERS SAY LAWSON SOLD METH FOR CHRISTOPHER EADS, WHO BROUGHT LARGE AMOUNTS OF HEROIN INTO THE CASPER AREA AS WELL AS SMALL QUANTITIES OF METH. EADS REPORTEDLY CARRIED A HANDGUN ON HIS PERSON AT ALL TIMES.

IN JUNE, EADS LED LAW ENFORCEMENT ON A HIGH-SPEED CHASE ALONG INTERSTATE 25 WHICH ENDED IN AN ARMED STANDOFF IN CASPER. EADS WAS SENTENCED IN MARCH TO 40 YEARS BEHIND BARS.

COURT DOCUMENTS SAY THAT ON JUNE 2 -- THE DAY BEFORE THE PURSUIT AND STANDOFF INVOLVING EADS -- AGENTS OF THE WYOMING DIVISION OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTERVIEWED A CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE WHO CLAIMED THAT LAWSON WAS SELLING HEROIN AND METH WHICH HE OBTAINED FROM EADS.

BEFORE LAWSON WAS ARRESTED IN APRIL 2017 IN AN UNRELATED CASE, LAWSON WOULD ROUTINELY SELL METHAMPHETAMINE WHICH EADS FRONTED TO HIM.
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A ONE VEHICLE ACCIDENT HAS LANDED ONE PERSON IN THE HOSPITAL.

SGT. ZACK WINTER SAID AT THE SCENE THAT CASPER POLICE RESPONDED TO A CALL ON THE REDDI LINE (REPORT EVERY DRUNK DRIVER IMMEDIATELY) AT AROUND 6PM.

A DRIVER WAS SPEEDING IN AN SUV ON 1ST STREET RIGHT BEFORE POPLAR, GOING IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES PER HOUR.

THAT'S WHEN THEY HIT A GUARDRAIL AND ROLLED THE VEHICLE.

THE DRIVER WAS TAKEN TO WYOMING MEDICAL CENTER, CONDITION UNKNOWN.
THERE WERE NO OTHER OCCUPANTS, NOR VEHICLES INVOLVED.
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A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS SENTENCED THE LEADER OF A VIOLENT METHAMPHETAMINE TRAFFICKING RING THAT OPERATED ON THE WIND RIVER INDIAN RESERVATION TO 16 YEARS IN PRISON.

U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE NANCY FREUDENTHAL ON TUESDAY SENTENCED CAMERON MEANS-GOODMAN OF ARAPAHOE TO 195 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON.

A JURY FOUND MEANS-GOODMAN GUILTY IN FEBRUARY OF CONSPIRACY TO DISTRIBUTE METHAMPHETAMINE, POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE METHAMPHETAMINE, USING AND CARRYING A FIREARM DURING AND IN RELATION TO A FEDERAL DRUG TRAFFICKING CRIME, FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM AND ASSAULT.

"MS. MEANS-GOODMAN AND HER OTHER DEFENDANTS HAD A SOURCE OF SUPPLY FOR METHAMPHETAMINE OUT OF SALT LAKE CITY AND THAT'S WHERE SHE WAS BRINGING IN THE DRUGS ONTO THE RESERVATION, AND SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME OF THIS CASE. WE KNOW THERE'S LOTS MORE WORK TO DO, BUT THIS IS A CASE WHERE WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN DISRUPTING, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF THIS PARTICULAR DRUG RING, THEIR ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT THEY WERE DOING."

U.S. ATTORNEY MARK KLAASSEN SAYS THE OTHER DEFENDANTS IN THE CASE ALSO RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL SENTENCES, RANGING ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO EIGHT YEARS.