K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For October 26th, 2018 – Evening

THE U.S. BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES IS OFFERING A $5,000 REWARD FOR INFORMATION ON THE WHEREABOUTS OF A MAN CHARGED WITH BREAKING INTO AND BURNING THE ALBANY COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY HEADQUARTERS IN LARAMIE IN SEPTEMBER.

THE ATF'S DENVER FIELD DIVISION WANTS TO KNOW WHERE KELLEN MICHAEL SORBER WENT AFTER HE WAS FEDERALLY CHARGED TUESDAY WITH ONE COUNT OF MALICIOUSLY DAMAGING A BUILDING BY FIRE.

IF CONVICTED, HE FACES BETWEEN FIVE AND 20 YEARS IN PRISON.

SORBER IS KNOWN TO RESIDE IN LARAMIE, BUT IS ALSO KNOWN TO FREQUENT THE FORT COLLINS AREA.

HE IS A 27-YEAR-OLD WHITE MALE, APPROXIMATELY 5-FEET 10-INCHES TALL, WEIGHS 250 POUNDS AND HAS GREEN EYES.

HE WAS LAST SEEN WITH SHOULDER-LENGTH, DARK STRAWBERRY-BLONDE HAIR AND A BEARD.

HE ALSO GOES BY THE NICKNAME "VAN GOGH,"

THE FIRE WAS REPORTED EARLY MORNING SEPTEMBER 6TH AT THE GOP HEADQUARTERS ON EAST IVINSON AVENUE, AND THE LARAMIE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED AND EXTINGUISHED IT.

ANALYSIS OF DNE EVIDENCE AND SURVEILLANCE VIDEO HELPED INVESTIGATORS IDENTIFY SORBER AS A PERSON OF INTEREST.

AFTER DNA EVIDENCE FROM SORBER HIMSELF CONFIRMED HIM AS A SUSPECT ON MONDAY, THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FILED THE CHARGE TUESDAY, AND FILED A MOTION IN FEDERAL COURT THAT HE BE DETAINED.

BUT HE APPARENTLY WAS NEVER TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND HAS GONE MISSING.

IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE CRIME, YOU CAN GO TO THE ATF'S WEBSITE TO REPORT IT.
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A 28-YEAR-OLD CHEYENNE MAN ACCUSED OF PHYSICALLY INJURING HIS STEPSON BY SPANKING HIM WITH A FLYSWATTER AND RUBBER BELT HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH FELONY CHILD ABUSE.

POLICE SAY THEY WERE CALLED TO ANDERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON OCT. 18 AFTER THE SECOND-GRADER TOLD STAFF HE WAS AFRAID TO GO HOME BECAUSE HE FEARED HIS STEPDAD, ALLEN FLANARY, WOULD SPANK HIM FOR NOT EATING HIS LUNCH.

THE CHILD SAID HE'D BEEN SPANKED WITHIN THE LAST TWO DAYS WITH A FLYSWATTER AND RUBBER BELT AND PHOTOS TAKEN BY THE SCHOOL NURSE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT RED MARKS, BRUISING AND WELTS ON HIS LEFT LEG AND BUTTOCKS.

​POLICE QUESTIONED FLANARY WHEN HE CAME TO PICK UP HIS STEPSON FROM SCHOOL, AND SAY HE ADMITTED TO SPANKING THE BOY ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE DAY BEFORE.

THE BOY'S MOTHER, SARAH FLANARY, TOLD POLICE THAT SHE WAS AT WORK WHEN THE SPANKINGS OCCURRED, BUT FLANARY HAD TOLD HER ABOUT THEM OVER THE PHONE.

SHE SAID THERE'D BEEN ISSUES WITH HER SON LYING ABOUT EATING AND CLEANING HIS ROOM, BUT SHE DIDN'T KNOW FLANARY USED THE FLYSWATTER AND HIS BELT TO SPANK UNTIL SHE ARRIVED AT THE SCHOOL AND FLANARY TOLD HER.

FLANARY WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ARRESTED AND HIS STEPSON AND 2-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WERE TAKEN INTO PROTECTIVE CUSTODY.

FLANARY IS CURRENTLY BEING HELD IN THE LARAMIE COUNTY JAIL ON A $10,000 CASH BOND. HE COULD FACE UP TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON IF CONVICTED.
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A MAN ACCUSED OF BITING THE FACE OF A TODDLER CHANGED HIS PLEA THURSDAY MORNING IN NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT.

NICKOLAS DAVID JONES ENTERED AN ALFORD PLEA TO A SINGLE COUNT OF CHILD ABUSE BEFORE DISTRICT JUDGE CATHERINE WILKING. THE CRIME IS PUNISHABLE BY UP TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON.

BY ENTERING AN ALFORD PLEA, A DEFENDANT DOES NOT ADMIT GUILT BUT DOES CONCEDE THAT THE STATE HAS ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO OBTAIN A CONVICTION AT TRIAL. FOR SENTENCING PURPOSES, THE COURT TREATS AN ALFORD PLEA AS A GUILTY PLEA.

IN EXCHANGE FOR JONES'S PLEA, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY KEVIN TAHERI AGREED TO RECOMMEND A PRISON SENTENCE OF 18-36 MONTHS. HE TOLD WILKING THAT PRISON TIME IS APPROPRIATE IN PART BECAUSE OF JONES'S CRIMINAL HISTORY, WHICH INCLUDES PREVIOUS CHARGES OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR AND FELONY RECKLESS ASSAULT FROM 2008.

ACCORDING TO AN AFFIDAVIT OF PROBABLE CAUSE, JONES AND HIS THEN-GIRLFRIEND DROPPED THE VICTIM OFF AT A DAYCARE FACILITY AT THE YMCA. AT THAT TIME, YMCA EMPLOYEES NOTICED A BITE MARK ON THE CHILD'S FACE AS WELL AS MULTIPLE BRUISES ON FACE, EARS AND NECK.

JONES REMAINED IN CUSTODY IN LIEU OF BOND A THE TIME OF THURSDAY'S HEARING. HE WILL BE SENTENCED AT A LATER DATE.
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CHEYENNE, WYO. (AP) - SEN. JOHN BARRASSO AND POLITICAL OPPONENT GARY TRAUNER DISAGREE WHETHER WYOMING'S ECONOMY IS IN GOOD SHAPE. BARRASSO SAID IN A DEBATE THURSDAY OPTIMISM IN WYOMING IS HIGH; TRAUNER SAYS THAT'S NOT THE STATE HE SEES.

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CASPER, WYO. (AP) - A CASPER POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES IN A DEADLY MAY GUNFIGHT IS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO WORK NEXT WEEK. THE CASPER STAR-TRIBUNE REPORTS THURSDAY THAT OFFICER JACOB CARLSON WILL SERVE IN A LIMITED CAPACITY IN THE CAREER SERVICES DIVISION, WHICH HANDLES RECRUITING AND BACKGROUND CHECKS. CARLSON WAS WOUNDED IN A MAY 6 SHOOTOUT WITH 38-YEAR-OLD DAVID WOLOSIN, WHO WAS SHOT AND KILLED.

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CASPER, WYO. (AP) - A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF A WYOMING CORRECTIONS CENTER HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO HELPING TWO INMATES ESCAPE. THE CASPER STAR-TRIBUNE REPORTS SHAYNE JONES PLEADED GUILTY THURSDAY IN NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT TO TWO COUNTS OF AIDING AND ABETTING AN ESCAPE AFTER REACHING A DEAL WITH PROSECUTORS WHO AGREED TO DROP TWO COUNTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. PROSECUTORS HAD ACCUSED JONES OF HAVING SEX WITH A CASPER RE-ENTRY CENTER INMATE.