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Every Thursday -- check WKYT.com for the latest "A Message from Ray the D.A."
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Forensic Friday
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WVLK 590 AM |
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Officer Don's Crime Prevention Tip |
Small Business Crime Prevention
Crime -- burglary, robbery, vandalism, shoplifting, employee theft, and fraud -- costs businesses billions of dollars each year. Crime can be particularly devastating to small businesses.
Laying a Foundation for Prevention
Take a hard look at your business -- its physical layout, employees, hiring practices, and overall security.
Some basic prevention principles include:
Provide training for all employees;
Use good locks, safes, and alarm systems;
Keep detailed, up-to-date records;
Mark equipment;
Establish and enforce clear policies about employee theft. |
| Sheriff Kathy Witt |
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Fugitives Wanted by the Fayette County Sheriff's Office
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WANTED |
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Edward John Jacobsen |
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Robbery 1st |
DOB: 10/20/1946
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 140
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown |
Click here to see who is wanted by the Fayette County Sheriff's Office. |
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TOP STORIES
Office News
Larson helping teach "Law & Justice Class" at Martin Luther King Academy.
America's Crime News & Trends
Check out what's going on in crime-fighting around the country.
Criminal Justice NewsProperty Crimes Task Force update.
Office News
Financial Crimes prosecutor addresses paralegals.
Meet Kentucky's Felony Prosecutors
David Justice, Commonwealth's Attorney for Boyd County.
Recent Court Case
Recent parolee returns to prison.
Death Row Inmate Of The Week
This killer, along with a female accomplice, forced a female victim into the back seat of her car and raped and strangled the victim while the accomplice drove around.
Information Center
Want to know what cases were Indicted, Dismissed, or Transferred Back To District Court by the Grand Jury and what cases are set for trial? Check it out here.
Who is on Home Incarceration in Lexington?
Convicted criminals in the Home Incarceration Program (HIP) in Lexington. Last Week's Circuit Court Sentencings
Who went to prison and who was probated. |
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Office News |
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Larson Helping Teach "Law & Justice Class" At Martin Luther King Academy
 By Intern Andolyn Johnson
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A great way to live one's life. |
It happened when Ray Larson attended an Open House at Martin Luther King Academy (MLK). Larson asked Law and Justice teacher John Brandenburg if he could help him teach his class this semester. As a result, Mr. Larson visits the Martin Luther King Academy every week to help teach class to several high school students. The reality of the situation, however, presents more challenges than I expected.
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Front entrance of MLK Academy. |
I visited the MLK Academy on Thursday with Mr. Larson. As we entered the school, officers searched the students and their backpacks before allowing them into the building. Mr. Larson prepared me for the possible difficulties we might face in the classroom, such as disruptive behavior and inappropriate language. Most of these students have serious issues with authority because of their experiences.
The first week Mr. Larson sent five students out of the classroom for unruly behavior. With their defiant attitudes, a prosecutor is one of the last people they respect. Many of them grew up around violence and hostility, and they often see friends and possibly relatives prosecuted by Mr. Larson. The resentment in the room was evident from the moment the students entered. Although they were respectful toward me, it seemed as though they were naturally more aggressive than others their age just from observing their mannerisms. I also immediately noticed how aware they are of their peers' actions and attitudes. For example, several boys kept coming into the classroom and then leaving because they did not want to be the first to sit down in the room. The influence and attention from their classmates appeared to dictate their own actions.
I wondered what Mr. Larson would say to these students. They looked so young, but I knew occasionally police arrested students from MLK for various felony charges, so they are not as innocent as they seem. The goal for this class period involved discussing the Bill of Rights.
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Lori Boling and Briana Gaylord with teacher John Brandenburg before class. | Mr. Larson walked the students through a case involving three high school boys who severely beat an elderly man at the Holiday Inn North a few years ago. They were indicted for the most severe assault charge possible. The elderly man's face needed total reconstruction because several bones were completely shattered. Mr. Larson discussed the facts of the case all the way through the guilty plea, tying in the civil rights involved throughout the criminal proceedings. Several students knew the defendants, and they paid close attention to the court tape in which the boys pled guilty. The students' reactions to this severe crime were puzzling. They showed little sympathy for the victim, instead displaying only anger and defensiveness. They nervously laughed at inappropriate times and boasted that they would never plead guilty to assault charges.
Mr. Brandenburg, the students' teacher who asked Mr. Larson to come speak to the class, told us that it takes a while for many of these kids to trust because they are so used to people visiting briefly and never coming back. I am interested to see how their attitudes and actions change as we continue to visit the classroom. Mr. Larson is determined to try to make a difference in these kids' lives. |
| America's Crime News & Trends |
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Bumper Stickers Linked to Road Rage Drivers
 Drivers whose cars are adorned with bumper and window stickers are more prone to road rage, according to researchers at Colorado University. The researchers discovered that motorists with personalized items on their vehicles are more likely to be aggressive drivers. They assessed the behavior of 500 drivers. They found that in the face of provocations such as stuck in traffic, owners of cars with stickers were more likely to act on their anger by flashing lights, tailgating and blocking other drivers.
Editor's Comment: Look out for drivers who like to express their opinions on their bumpers.
If You Order Drugs On-Line, Be Careful
 According to researchers at the European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicine, internet drug purchasing can be risky. Their research revealed:
More than 62% of all medicine bought on-line were fakes;
Nearly 96% of the virtual pharmacies operated illegally;
More than 90% of the websites supplied prescription-only drugs without a prescription.
Editor's Comment: These internet drug dealers need serious federal regulation.
Early Release Of Convicts - Costs $$$$
 "Releasing criminals early may help save money in the short term, but not in the long term," according to Jeffrey Sedgewick, Director of the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics. "Experience suggests that shortened sentences and reduced supervision of offenders released from prison carry a higher cost, especially in human terms, than the savings these short-sighted policies generate. The crimes averted while these convicts are incarcerated are never mentioned," he said.
Editor's Comment: "Averted crimes." Those are the crimes that could and should be avoided by simply keeping repeat offenders in prison for their entire sentence.
Hey! Remember The Man In Texas Who Shot And Killed The Two Burglars Next Door?
 A Houston Grand Jury recently concluded that Pasadena,Texas resident Joe Horn's decision to gun down two illegal immigrant burglars in his front yard was a justifiable use of force and not homicide. The burglars had taken about $2,000 in the burglary next door. Horn's defense was that he fired in fear for his life, making the shooting justifiable in Texas. The Grand Jury agreed.
Editor's Comment: As to those burglars, the Grand Jury spoke!
Teens In Low-Income, High-Crime Areas Risk Jail Time To Keep Guns To Protect Themselves
 Teenage males in poor, high-crime neighborhoods would rather risk jail time than go unarmed. They were driven by fear of street crime. They are simply scared of the streets. Nearly half of those interviewed in St. Louis, Missouri were aware that it was illegal to carry weapons. Furthermore, they know what the penalties are. Their fear of crime was greater than their fear of jail.
Editor's Comment: Unfortunately, these low-income, high-crime areas are the neighborhoods to which released criminals return. Our elected leaders and policy-makers ought to recognize this, but they don't seem to. The people that live in these neighborhoods deserve to feel just as safe as those who live in the low-crime, high-income neighborhoods.
How Teens Cheat On Home Urine Drug Tests
 A Houston toxicologist recently demonstrated various ways employees try to beat workplace drug tests - and how experts foil these schemes in the laboratory. On the list:
Tampering: A sprinkle of salt or splash of bleach will muck-up a urine specimen;
Water-loading: Gulping fluids before the test is the most common ploy;
Switching drugs: Sometimes teens switch their drug of choice, to what they think is undetectable;
Switching urine samples: Whether it's a friend's, synthetic, or store-bought freeze dried bought on-line, teens sometimes try to pass it off as their own.
Editor's Comment: The lengths to which people will go to avoid detection never ceases to amaze me. Just think, there is a business providing freeze-dried urine specimens. Good grief!
U.S. Drug Demand Drives International Drug Trafficking
 Why is drug trafficking into the United States such a huge international enterprise? Because of America's drug consumption. The drug trafficking problem on our borders comes down to one undeniable fact: the American narcotics market is the biggest in the world. That is what Mexican President Felipe Calderon recently told a joint meeting of U.S. and Mexican border governors.
Editor's Comment: It is very difficult to point the finger of blame at any one but ourselves when Americans use and abuse illegal drugs to the extent that we do. |
| Criminal Justice News |
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Property Crimes Task Force Update
 By Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Dan Laren
 As of late September, approximately 10% of the total number of felony indictments considered by the Fayette County Grand Jury are property crimes that go beyond simple shoplifting or cold checks.
| Type of Offense |
Example |
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Residential Burglary |
Breaking into a house or apartment. |
30% |
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Commercial Burglary |
Breaking into a school, business, or church. |
25% |
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Related Offenses |
Pawning stolen property, stealing from a vehicle. |
45% |
The usual target in crimes like this is property that can be easily carried away and then sold or traded: CD's, video games, jewelry, GPS systems, radios, and so forth. Checks and credit cards tend to be used soon after they are stolen, before the victim can notify their bank or credit card company.
Another emerging trend is the theft and sale of metal-usually (but not always) copper. Air conditioners, catalytic converters, telephone and power substations, and homes under construction have been targeted by thieves looking for scrap metal. Items such as sewer grates, manhole covers, ramps, ladders, and signs have also been stolen and sold for scrap.
Defendants tend to be white males, approximately 31 years of age, with an average of 10.8 prior criminal convictions. 45% of these defendants qualify as Persistent Felony Offenders, having at least one prior felony conviction within five years of their arrest. |
| Office News |
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Financial Crimes Prosecutor Addresses Paralegals
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Andrea Mattingly Williams speaks to the Lexington Paralegal Association. |
Andrea Mattingly Williams, Assistant Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney, recently spoke to the Lexington Paralegal Association about White Collar Crime in Lexington. Her presentation occurred during their annual continuing education program held at the Fayette County Circuit Courthouse.
Ms. Williams heads the Fayette County Financial Crimes Task Force, which is made up of federal, state and local prosecutors and investigators. The Task Force meets monthly and works to coordinate financial crime investigations and prosecutions.
"We are seeing many more cases of identity theft, employee embezzlement, contractor fraud, and financial exploitation of senior citizens," Ms. Williams told the group. "Working together makes us all more effective and efficient." |
| Meet Kentucky's Felony Prosecutors |
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David Justice, Commonwealth's Attorney For Boyd County
"Kentucky's prosecutors are pleased that David has become Commonwealth's Attorney for the 32nd Circuit," says Ray Larson.
 David Justice is a native of Ashland, Kentucky. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in English in 1972. Upon graduation he worked for the Ashland Police Department as a crime scene investigator. He is a former Naval Aviator and a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law. He practiced in Ashland until he was elected Commonwealth's Attorney in January, 2007.
The 32nd Judicial District generates and closes about 600 felony cases per year and is located in Boyd County, which contains two circuit court divisions. |
| Recent Court Case |
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Recent Parolee Returns To Prison
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Charles Henry Hill, III |
Charles Henry Hill, III, had been released on parole for multiple offenses --including Residential Burglary -- for less than a year when he walked away from his landscaping job and told a female companion he intended to find a home to break into for money. She wouldn't drive him to find a home to target, so he crossed the street from his family's house in the Woodhill area, broke and opened the neighbor's window, and climbed in to steal electronics, jewelry, and clothing.
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Prosecutor Jim Havey | A witness saw Hill carrying the bundle of goods wrapped in the victim's comforter. He looked at the witness as he crossed the street and walked down his driveway. The following day, Hill pawned some of the stolen electronics and jewelry, using his own driver's license and applying his inked thumb print to the pawn tickets. A Fayette County jury sentenced Hill to serve ten years in prison for Burglary and Persistent Felony Offender --time that will be added to the twenty-six years he had already been paroled for. This time Hill must serve ten years before he is eligible for parole. |
| Death Row Inmate Of The Week |
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What did this killer do to convince a jury to sentence him to death?
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Gregory Wilson
30 at the time
Male, Black |
Gregory L. Wilson, along with a female accomplice, forced a female victim into the back seat of her car in Kenton County in 1987. Wilson raped and strangled the victim while the accomplice drove around. Wilson then went on a shopping spree with the victim's credit cards. Her body was found weeks later near the Indiana-Illinois border. The date of her death had to be established by the extent of blowfly maggot development on her body.
Wilson was sentenced to death on October 31, 1988.
That's what he did. He sentenced himself to death. |
| Information Center |
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To see the latest Grand Jury returns, including Indictments, Dismissals, and cases Returned to District Court, click on the dates below:
The Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office Criminal Trial Schedule is updated each Monday. To see our trial schedule, click here. |
| Who Is On Home Incarceration In Lexington? |
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| Convicted Criminals In The Home Incarceration Program (HIP) in Lexington
Inmates who are nearing the end of their sentences can be placed into the Home Incarceration Program (HIP) under certain circumstances. Offenders who are part of this program are technically still incarcerated; however, they are placed in the community under electronic monitoring rather than being behind the walls of a correctional facility.
To learn the identity of the inmates presently in the Home Incarceration Program in our community, click here. |
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Fayette Circuit Court Sentencings Friday, October 3, 2008 |
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| 3rd Division - Judge James Ishmael | |
JONES, Joni Marie
Age: 27 |
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| Sentenced to 30 days in jail for the prosecution's amended charge of Harassment, probated 30 days. | |
STEWART, Darryl William, Jr.
Age: 19 |
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| Sentenced to 8 months in jail, serve 4 weekends, for Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon, probated 2 years. | |
| 4th Division - Judge Pamela Goodwine | |
ADAMS, Jonathan Travis
Age: 28 |
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| Sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison for Theft By Deception over $300, and in a separate case, 1 year in prison for the prosecution's amended charge of Theft by Deception over $300, to serve consecutive for a total of 2 1/2 years in prison, probated 5 years. Ordered to pay $4,640.55 in restitution. | |
FIELDS, Deverick Lee
Age: 20 |
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| Sentenced to 2 years in jail for 3rd degree Burglary, twelve months in jail for the prosecution's amended charge of Theft By Unlawful Taking under $300, ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution, $500 to be paid jointly and severally with his co-defendants, and in a separate case, 12 months in jail for the prosecution's amended charge of Criminal Attempt 2nd degree Burglary, to run concurrently for a total of 2 years, probated 5 years. | |
HAGANS, Dominique M.
Age: 20 |
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| Sentenced to 1 year in prison for 3rd degree Burglary and a $200 fine and 45 day license suspension for Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol/Drugs<21, to run concurrently for a total of 1 year in prison, probated 3 years. Ordered to pay $2,793.88 in restitution, jointly and severally with co-defendants . | |
HAINSWORTH, William Kane
Age: 34 |
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| Sentenced to 1 year in prison for Failure to Comply with Sex Offender Registration, 1st Offense, probated 3 years. | |
MCCARTY, Michael Blake
Age: 20 |
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| Sentenced to 1 year in prison for Driving with a DUI Suspended License, 2nd Offense and 30 days in jail to serve out, a $500 fine and 36 month license suspension for Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol/Drugs.08, 3rd Offense, to run concurrently for a total of 1 year in prison, probated 5 years. | |
TAYLOR, Billy, Jr.
Age: 25 |
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| Sentenced to 1 year in prison for Failure to Comply with Sex Offender Registration, 1st Offense, conditionally discharged 2 years. | |
WASHINGTON, Lawrence Brian
Age: 21 |
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| Sentenced to 12 months in jail for the prosecution's amended charge of Theft By Unlawful Taking under $300, conditionally discharged 2 years. Restitution paid in the amount of $4,350.00. | |
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| 7th Division - Judge Ernesto Scorsone | |
CAUDILL, Jennifer Leigh
Age: 21 |
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| Sentenced to 12 months in jail for the prosecution's amended charge of 3rd degree Criminal Abuse, probated 2 years. | |
GRANVILLE, Charles Lyon
Age: 22 |
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| Sentenced to 12 months in jail for the prosecution's amended charge of 1st degree Criminal Attempt Sexual Abuse, serve 4 months in jail, probated 2 years. | |
KELLY, Michael Patrick, Jr.
Age: 22 |
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| Sentenced to 1 year in prison and a 60 month license suspension for the prosecution's amended charge of Driving Under the Influence, No Aggravator, 4th Offense, serve 120 days, and 7 days in jail for Driving with a DUI Suspended License, 1st Offense, to run concurrently for a total of 1 year in prison, serve 6 months in jail. Sent to jail. | |
MCGUIRE, Kimberly Ann
Age: 36 |
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| Sentenced to 4 years in prison for Theft By Unlawful Taking over $300. Sent to prison. Ordered to pay $390 in restitution. | |
REDD, Blake Allen
Age: 21 |
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| Sentenced to 5 years in prison for 1st degree Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, 1st Offense, probated 5 years. | |
SOLOMON, Michael G.
Age: 24 |
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| Sentenced to 3 years each in prison for 2 counts of Theft By Unlawful Taking over $300, 3 years in prison for 2nd degree Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, 1st Offense, and 3 years in prison for Fraudulent Use of Credit Cards over $100 within a 6 month period, to run consecutively for a total of 6 years in prison, probated 5 years. Ordered to pay $2, 823.66 in restitution. | |
TIBURCIO-SANTIAGO, Esteban
Age: 35 |
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| ILLEGAL ALIEN: Sentenced to 1 year in prison and a 5 year license suspension for Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol/ Drugs, .08, 4th Offense, conditionally discharged 2 years to Immigration Customs Enforcement holder. IMMIGRATION CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE) NOTIFIED | |
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| 8th Division - Judge Thomas L. Clark | |
BRISCOE, Larry Dwayne
Age: 22 |
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| REPEAT OFFENDER: Sentenced to10 years in prison for Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, 1st Offense, and status as a Persistent Felony Offender. Sent to prison. | |
ESTEP, Becky
Age: 46 |
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| Sentenced to 180 days in jail for the prosecution's amended charge of 1st degree Official Misconduct, conditionally discharged 2 years. Restitution to be determined. | |
MARTINEZ-MORENO, Filemon
Age: 27 |
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| ILLEGAL ALIEN: Sentenced to 5 years in prison for 1st degree Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, 1st Offense. Sent to prison. IMMIGRATION CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE) NOTIFIED | |
WINN, Geneva A.
Age: 53 |
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| Sentenced to 12 months in jail for the prosecution's amended charge of 4th degree Assault, probated 2 years. | |
WRIGHT, Mark D.
Age: 41 |
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| Sentenced to 12 months in jail for Use/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, 1st Offense, and 12 months in jail for Possession of Marijuana, to run concurrently for a total of 12 months in jail, probated 2 years. | |
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| 9th Division - Judge Kimberly Bunnell | |
BOONE, Lauren Faith
Age: 29 |
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| Sentenced to 3 years for Attempt/Obtain Controlled Substance by Fraud/False Statement to Practitioner, 1st Offense, diverted 5 years. | |
HAYES, Kyla Johnain
Age: 36 |
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| Sentenced to time served for Possession of Defaced Firearm, time served. | |
MCCOMAS, Conner Patrick
Age: 18 |
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| Sentenced to 12 months in jail for the prosecution's amended charge of 2nd degree Attempted Trafficking in a Controlled Substance and 12 months in jail for 3rd degree Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, 1st Offense, to run concurrently for a total of 12 months in jail, conditionally discharged for 2 years. | |
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