Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884

Wyoming News Briefs

Man accused of setting up camera in women’s bathroom

POWELL (WNE) — A Powell man is alleged to have set up a camera in the women’s bathroom at his former Powell workplace, capturing images of four of his female co-workers in states of undress. 

Fifty-year-old Scott G. Abraham, who lives between Lovell and Byron, was arrested on the allegations Wednesday and made bail on Friday. He’s facing six felony charges. 

An investigation by Powell police concluded that Abraham staged a camera in the women’s bathroom at the building where he worked on at least two occasions: in August 2018 — when he secretly photographed four women using the toilet — and again this past June, when an employee spotted the camera as she changed clothes. 

Abraham allegedly admitted to placing the camera when confronted by his boss and then Powell police in mid-June. 

“… I was stupid enough to put a camera in the women’s bathroom as an experiment, I guess you would say,” he told Powell Police Investigator Chris Wallace, according to an affidavit Wallace submitted in support of the case. 

Wallace said he wound up finding 102,511 images, 52 videos, 10 audio recordings and other files on a pair of memory cards in the mini video camera found in the bathroom and in a digital audio recorder.

Abraham was released from the Park County Detention Center on Friday after posting $10,000. While free on bond, Circuit Court Judge Bruce Waters ordered Abraham to have no contact with the victims in the case “in any way, shape or form,” among other conditions.

Lawsuit filed over jade mining dispute

RIVERTON (WNE) — A Fremont County man is suing a mining company on accusations that the company stole valuable jade from his claim north of Jeffrey City.

Jason Gieske’s federal lawsuit complaint alleges that Canadian mining company Jadex Corporation stole valuable jade deposits that belonged rightfully to him.

Gieske and Jadex Corporation have alternate mining rights on a 21-acre jade mine roughly 7.5 miles north of Jeffrey City, in Fremont County.

Gieske owns the placer claim, but he transferred the lode claim to Jadex earlier this year.

According to Bureau of Land Management standards, the owner of a placer claim may mine valuables from the surface of the property, as well as underneath it, as long as the minerals aren’t part of a well-defined “lode” or mineral vein.

Conversely, the owner of a lode claim may only extract valuables from mineral veins with “well-defined boundaries.”

The dispute began when, according to Gieske’s legal counsel, the company was pulling jade from the property in recent weeks.

However, “their attempts to extract minerals from the lode were frustrated when they encountered a quartz barrier” under the property. “They knew that there were boulders lying in, on, under, and around (the property) which contained significant elements of high quality jade... So (they) decided to steal the jade boulders” outside the lode.

Gieske’s complaint states that the company intends to sell the noteworthy mineral haul to Chinese buyers, and asks that the court place a temporary restraining order preventing the company from selling the jade until its ownership and worth are determined in the suit.

CWD found in area near Clark

CLARK — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department confirmed that several deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease in Deer Hunt Area 105. 

The positive tests come from hunter-harvested mule deer and white-tailed bucks and road-killed mule deer. All positive deer were located north and northeast of Clark in the Badger Basin and Big Sand Coulee areas. The deer were harvested in early November.

Deer Hunt Area 105 is one of the areas with increased CWD monitoring this hunting season. Game and Fish aimed to collect samples from at least 200 adult mule deer bucks from both the Clarks Fork the Shoshone deer herds. Continued monitoring of CWD over time is important to understand the potential impacts of the disease as well as evaluate future management actions. 

To ensure that hunters are informed, Game and Fish announces when CWD is found in a new hunt area. The Centers for Disease Control recommends hunters do not consume any animal that is obviously ill or tests positive for CWD. 

A map of CWD endemic areas is available on the Game and Fish website. The disease is fatal to deer, elk and moose. 

The Game and Fish is concerned about CWD and how it may affect the future of Wyoming’s wildlife. The department is updating its CWD plan through a collaborative public process. 

Man sentenced for hitting another with rifle

CODY (WNE) — A 22-year-old Cody man will receive 43 days in jail for breaking another man’s arm and fracturing his skull with an AR-15, swinging the weapon like a baseball bat. Tristen Bishop also must pay $4,976.62 restitution for the injuries and property damage he caused.

That victim, William Walbert, initially started the confrontation, threatening Bishop with the gun.

Apparently the two men had a history because of a disagreement because of a female love interest. When Walbert started “brake checking” Bishop’s truck from his vehicle at Red Lake, the two then got out of their vehicles and the fight ensued.

At his sentencing Thursday, a snippet of the confrontation that had been filmed was shown to the courtroom. In the March 2018 altercation, Bishop can be seen engaging Walbert in a short scuffle, followed by hitting Walbert with the weapon.

“This is not something that is a minor offense,” Jack Hatfield, Park County prosecuting attorney said. “The defendant caused danger of death or bodily injury.”

Bishop will be credited for 47 days he has already served in prison but was immediately remanded to the Park County Detention Center after Judge Bill Simpson made his decision.

“I can only hope the two of you will be able to think about the events in a light to make sure you never do it again,” Simpson said.

Walbert faced no criminal charges from the incident.

Firefighter killed in car crash

CHEYENNE – A Laramie County firefighter was killed in an off-duty accident around 3:43 p.m. Thursday on Interstate 80 near mile marker 342 west of Cheyenne.

Firefighter John L. Kennedy, 22, of Cheyenne died at the scene due to injuries suffered during the crash. He was wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident, according to a Wyoming Highway Patrol news release.

Kennedy was driving a 2006 Kia SUV and was traveling westbound on I-80 when he merged from the left lane, across the right lane and into the merge lane. When the Kia entered the merge lane, it hit the back of a 2016 international commercial vehicle.

The driver of the 2016 commercial vehicle has been identified as Joseph Philip, 48, of Ontario, Canada. He, too, was wearing his seat belt, and was not injured in the crash.

Kennedy may have been using his cellphone and speeding at the time of the crash, and both are being investigated as possible contributing factors. He is the 134th person to die on Wyoming roadways in 2019.

Man convicted of abusing 9-year-old

LARAMIE (WNE) — A 21-year-old Laramie man was convicted of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor last week after taking an Alford plea, a legal term meaning the defendant retains his assertion of innocence while pleading guilty because he acknowledges a jury is likely to convict him.

Zachary Skagen was charged with the crime for inflicting penetrative sexual abuse on a nine-year-old girl during at least three separate incidences in July 2018.

Second-degree sexual abuse can carry a prison term of up to 20 years, but Skagen’s plea deal means prosecutors will limit their recommendation for a sentence to 13-15 years imprisonment.

Skagen was arrested in November 2018, but has since been released on a partial house arrest after a $25,000 cash bond was posted.

He is not allowed to leave the house without the supervision of the adult who’s supervising him.

Since his initial release, he’s been living on Garfield Street near the University of Wyoming’s campus, but he’s now set to move into a different house in West Laramie.

James Pracheil, an officer with the Laramie Police Department, conducted an interview with the victim in October 2018. Skagen corroborated the details of the sex abuse to Pracheil.

“I don’t know why I did it,” he reportedly told a family member.

The first incident of abuse took place in Las Vegas, while the rest occurred in Laramie, according to court documents.

Man accused of assaulting person with machete deemed competent

CHEYENNE – A man accused of attacking a person with a machete has been deemed competent to stand trial, it was announced Thursday morning in Laramie County District Court.

Lamont Dion Walker has been charged with aggravated assault and battery with bodily injury with a deadly weapon. At his arraignment on June 20, he entered a plea of not guilty by way of mental illness.

Walker’s defense attorney raised no objections to the competency ruling at his status hearing.

According to court documents:

Walker said he struck the victim with the machete because of “reports of dead bodies being dumped at Walmart,” and he was protecting himself.

On the night of the incident, Walker allegedly got out of his semitruck, struck the victim — whom he called the devil — on the arm. The incident occurred Feb. 5 on North Industrial Road.

The victim was able to run away and call police. Witnesses at the scene were able to verify the victim’s claims. When officers arrived on scene, the victim had a long red mark on the arm from being hit with the machete.

Woman arrested after speedy chase through Shoshoni

RIVERTON — A Casper woman was arrested Monday evening in Fremont County after a high-speed chase through the town of Shoshoni. 

No one was injured in the incident, but Mary Brewer, 31, of Casper, was arrested for fleeing or attempting to elude, reckless driving, driving while under the influence and speeding. 

Fremont County Undersheriff Mike Hutchison said Brewer had been the subject of a drunken driving report Monday evening. 

“Someone had called in and complained (about) a black passenger car traveling at an estimated 120 mph…on Wyoming Highway 789 just north of Riverton,” Hutchison said Tuesday.

Later, he said, Brewer pulled her Hyundai into the parking lot of the B & K Shoreline Stop west of Shoshoni. 

A deputy arrived there soon afterward looking for her, but witnesses at the scene said she had just left the area headed toward Shoshoni. They also said she had driven through a highway right-of-way fence. 

The deputy “caught up to her fairly quickly,” Hutchison said, and “she took off and accelerated” to almost 115 mph. Her speeds were varying, Hutchison said, but he wasn’t sure how fast she was going when she entered the town of Shoshoni.

The chase continued outside of Shoshoni for about four more miles before Brewer finally stopped, Hutchison said. 

“Luckily it didn’t end in a crash,” he added.

Western Wyoming Community College ranked No. 1 most affordable college for associate degree

ROCK SPRINGS — Western Wyoming Community College was ranked the No. 1 most affordable school in Wyoming and most affordable college for an associate degree by Affordable Schools. It considers multiple factors in its methodology for determining ranking.

Student faculty ratio is considered. WWCC has small class sizes with a 13:1 ratio. Western’s faculty are known for its dedication to students.

Graduation rates are key in determining ranking. Although not always true, most students who are satisfied with their studies are likely to remain enrolled and graduate with a degree. High graduation rates often indicate a solid academic experience, according to a press release. Western’s graduation rate is 37% which is considerably higher than the national average.

Affordable Schools also looks at the cost of attendance. While cost is a major decision making factor for any student, it is important to consider the quality of education received for the price. Western is an award-winning institution, consistently ranked in the top three – even at national levels.

“With national debt in the trillions, Western is a high-quality and affordable solution. Whether students are looking to transfer, graduate with an associate’s degree, or certificate, students are accomplishing their goals without breaking the bank,” WWCC Director of Student Marketing and Communications Kimberly Emerson said in a press release.

For more information on applying to Western and financial aid, contact Mustang Central at 307-382-1677.

EMIT Technologies in Sheridan cuts 24 employees

SHERIDAN — EMIT Technologies cut 24 people from its staff Thursday, citing market pressures as the primary reason for the layoffs.

“This decision was not easy, nor taken lightly. We appreciate the work our employees have done, and we wish them well in their future endeavors,” EMIT Director of Public Relations Michelle Butler said in an emailed statement Thursday afternoon.

Butler said over the last four months, several of EMIT’s customers have had more than a 40 percent decline in production. 

“Unfortunately, these challenging industry conditions beyond our control have forced us to make some tough decisions,” Butler said. “We believe these steps, while difficult, are necessary to better align our operations moving forward.

“We are currently supporting and continuing to explore other opportunities to leverage our manufacturing capabilities outside of these industry cycles,” she continued. “We are optimistic that expanding our business into other markets will support future growth and stability.”

Before the cuts occurred, EMIT Technologies had 130 employees.

Man faces felony for Jackson Town Hall death threat

JACKSON — A Jackson contractor who threatened a town employee Tuesday faces a felony charge of terroristic threatening and a misdemeanor charge of disruptive conduct within governmental facilities.

Paul Rivers, 67, a longtime resident and contractor, walked into the Jackson Police Department just after 10 a.m. Tuesday and said, “You better get a cop up to the planning department because someone is about to die,” according to Lt. Roger Schultz. The planning department is just upstairs from the police department in Town Hall.

Officers detained Rivers almost immediately, after which he admitted to making the threat and was arrested.

Rivers, who is in custody in the Teton County Jail, appeared via Skype for his arraignment Wednesday. Circuit Court Judge James Radda scheduled his preliminary hearing for 10:15 a.m. on Dec. 12 and set bail at $5,000.

“Paul Rivers is a longtime resident of the valley, over 40 years,” said his attorney, Bill Fix. “He owns a home and runs a business. ... I don’t believe him to be a flight risk in the slightest.”

Among the other conditions of his bail, Rivers must not enter Town Hall or contact the town employee he allegedly threatened.

Fix said the incident “arises out of a dispute over an ongoing construction project,” which means Rivers’ company will need to continue working with town officials. But Fix said Rivers will be absent at inspections and that his employees can attend any necessary meetings at Town Hall on his behalf.

The maximum penalty for the felony charge is three years in jail and a fine of $10,000, and for the misdemeanor charge 60 days in jail and a fine of $750.