SALINE CO.— A convicted burglar who claims he was at the Saline County Courthouse for a court hearing has been charged with Burglary and Theft after authorities say he reached into a vehicle parked outside the courthouse and stole a cell phone belonging to a convicted rapist who was there to pay on his many fines.

The case caught the attention of area lawmen when a call came into central dispatch Friday, July 24, at approximately 1:40 p.m. in reference to a disturbance in front of Point Blank gun range, located at 5 South Main St., Harrisburg.

The caller said there were two men in front of the gun range arguing and pushing each other.

When city officers Brent Davis and Nathan Moore arrived on scene they found convicted burglar Billy Eugene Mallady, Jr., 48, of the 300 block of West Homer St., Harrisburg, standing on the corner of Main and Church streets, just down the street from Point Blank.

As officers were getting out of their cruisers they were advised by dispatch that convicted child rapist Christopher Lee Cowan, 45, was in the lobby at police headquarters whining about his cell phone.

Child rapist’s story

When officers called the station to speak with Cowan, he told them that he was at the courthouse to pay on a fine and nobody else was there with the exception of Mallady.

“Billy left while I was payin my fine,” Cowan told officers.

Cowan said he was pretty sure that Mallady was the one who had taken his cell phone.

“I know Billy,” said the convicted child rapist. “He’s a thief.”

Cowan admitted to officers that he was stupid enough to leave the window down and door unlocked on the red 1996 Jeep he parked in front of the courthouse.

Once officers got the number to the missing phone they called but there was no answer.

 Burglar’s story

Mallady, of course, has a story of his own.

He informed officers that he had indeed been at the courthouse for one of his hearings but that it had been rescheduled.

When they searched, officers found that Mallady only had his cell phone on his person and said be knew nothing about Cowan’s phone.

He also claimed to be living at the 2200 block of Ridge St., Eldorado, instead of his usual Harrisburg address.

Mallady was released to go about his thieving way as officers continued their investigation.

Oh, THAT  phone!

Sometime later, after a review of video surveillance from the sheriff’s department, officer Moore contacted officer Davis and advised he just found vid of Mallady entering the red Jeep and remain inside for 20-30 seconds, long enough to grab the cell phone.

While officers were rounding Mallady back up, the child rapist suddenly remembered that he had an app on his phone that would locate it in the event it was stolen.

Smart move for a violent, criminally inclined crap-bag not smart enough to roll up windows and lock doors.

Cowan was kind enough to advise officers his phone was somewhere near the Harrisburg Fire Department just down the block from the gun range.

Officers returned to the area and when they called the phone, it rang and they found it on the south side of Point Blank under a concrete slab.

Rapists have fear of being beaten?

The child rapist more than likely didn’t go find the phone himself out of fear of being beaten either half or all the way to death, which is not unheard of happening to individuals with such proclivities.

Case in point: Joshua Scott Headrick, 29, of 15 Wise St., Eldorado, currently has a June 26, 2014 pending case in Saline County in which he is accused of Aggravated Battery when he knowingly caused great bodily harm to Christopher Lee Cowan, 44, when he struck Cowan in the face causing a fracture of the bone around the left eye and a fracture of the left cheek bone.

Resumé builder?

Mallady was located the next day and transported to the detention center, by officer Kenny Shires, to be formally booked.

Mallady‘s burglary and theft charges only add to his criminal resume, which includes a conviction for Manufacturing/Delivery of Cannabis on November 6, 1998 for which he was sentenced to 72 days in the county jail, probation for 24 months and ordered to pay $2,954 in fines and fees.

The convicted drug-runner was sentenced to two years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) after he was convicted September 24, 1999 for Felon Failing to Return from Furlough.

He shelled out $948.50 in fines for that little brain cramp.

In 2005 he was sentenced to another three years in DOC after a conviction for Burglary.

He was also ordered to pay $642 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $61.

An act of and conviction for Residential Burglary sent Mallady back to IDOC on a three-year sentence November 3, 2008.

He still owes $2,540.42 in fines and fees in that case.

The ‘victim’

Christopher Lee Cowan’s criminal accolades include a conviction March 16, 1989 of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault of a Victim Under the Age of 13 and Criminal Sexual Assault by Force (rape) for which he was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections for 10 years and ordered to pay $903.80 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $694.80.

The convicted rapist earned himself another eight years in IDOC May 9, 1994 when he was convicted of Home Invasion Causing Injury.

The rapist also earned himself a stay in the big house cage after he was sentenced to five years IDOC following a conviction on October 28, 2002 for Unlawful Restraint.

He still owes $385 in fines and fees from that case.

Cash bond for Mr. Mallady was set at $2,000.

SALINE CO.— A rash of ATV thefts has ben plaguing the region in the past several months, and Saline County appears to be no exception.

A Mt. Carmel man has been jailed in Saline County on charges of Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle after the owner spotted him riding her ATV.

According to police reports, on July 15, Terry Vailes, of the 200 block of Doc Rd., Eldorado, contacted authorities at 11:30 a.m. and reported a burglary in his pole barn.

When officers arrived on scene, Vailes told them that a 2008 Kawasaki 250 Bayou had been stolen along with several other items.

As deputy Steve Sloan was speaking with Vailes, the man’s daughter pulled up and reported that she had just seen a white male with no shirt driving the ATV on the railroad tracks.

Dep. Sloan located the ATV near the tracks just off Trolley Road.

Detective Mike Jones and Sloan later received information that the driver of the ATV was Aaron Mattingly.

Aaron M. Mattingly, 26, of the 6600 block of East 550 Rd., Mt. Carmel, was located and taken into custody and booked into the Saline County Detention Center.

Cash bond in the case was set at $1,000.

Next day

In a separate case of a stolen ATV, the very next day (July 16) after the Vailes recovered their stolen ATV, Saline County Deputy Jerod Campbell had taken a report of a stolen ATV frame from Russell Swarrington at 2055 State St., Eldorado.

Swarrington said that he had a small, youth four-wheeler that had been sitting beside his garage that was missing.

He described the ATV frame as black with a metal black gas tank with red shock absorbers, stacked headlights with black plastic trim and that it had no motor or wiring.

When Dep. Campbell contacted Detective Mike Jones to see if he had located such an ATV, Jones informed him that at that second he was standing in the residence of one Cody Ray McGill, 22, of the 1100 block of Trolley Rd., Eldorado, and there just happened to be a small ATV sitting in the living room that matched the description Campbell had given.

Jones sent a picture of the ATV frame in McGill’s living room, which was shown to Swarrington, who ID’d the frame as his.

When asked where he had gotten the frame, McGill told officers that he “trades with friends” but refused to name any of the alleged friends.

Given the Trolley Road connection, one wonders if Mattingly in the above case isn’t one of those “friends.”

McGill was booked into the county detention center on a felony charge of Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.

He was released from police custody July 28 after a $1,500 cash bond was posted on his behalf by Jennifer Grisham, of the 1500 block of Hardy St., Eldorado.

SALINE CO.— A Harrisburg man has the unenviable distinction of having assistant state’s attorney Eva Walker prosecuting him after he allegedly exposed himself, made lewd comments and rubbed on a nurse at the Harrisburg Mulberry Center.

According to formal charges filed in the case, on July 27 at approximately 2:37 p.m. Harrisburg officers were dispatched to the center on a report of a patient, identified as Shawn Michael Gooch, 27, of the 200 block of South McKinley St., Harrisburg, destroying property and having barricaded himself.

When HPD Sgt. Michael Riden arrived, he was lead inside where he found Gooch standing near a doorway with his left hand over his head grasping a sprinkler head.

With no concern whatsoever for the feelings of the sprinkler head, Gooch said he would damage it if anyone approached him.

Witnesses told Sgt. Riden that Gooch had threatened bodily harm to several employees, had damaged hospital property and had committed battery.

Employee Mike Quinn advised that he wanted Gooch arrested and that Gooch had been released from the facility by a doctor.

With the help of a hospital employee, Riden was able to place Gooch in handcuffs.

Once in the police cruiser, Gooch started kicking the driver’s side window and said that he intended to kick the window out.

That’s about the time other officers on scene assisted Sgt. Riden in removing the energetic Mr. Gooch from the rear of the taxpayer-paid-for police cruiser and place him in what they call a ‘Hobble restraint’ which is a series of straps that renders the suspect ‘hog-tied.’

Gooch was then placed back inside the cruiser where he had little option but to behave himself.

What The Heck?

Once Gooch was removed, the hospital staff was interviewed and told authorities that while nurses were attempting to register Gooch he pulled out his penis, exposed himself and was making sexual comments to female staff.

While Casey Harner, RN, was registering Gooch she said he rubbed her buttocks with his hand, touched her arm and touched her just beneath her breasts.

Staffers repeated that Gooch threatened to harm numerous staff members.

He is also said to have damaged a card reader slide pad that unlocked doors, as well as a metal storage container connected to a wall.

Gooch was convicted May 19, 2014 of Criminal Trespass to Land for which he was fined $562 of which he hasn’t paid the first red cent.

In addition to whatever mental condition Gooch seems to be suffering from it seems he is plagued with just-not-that-smart-itis.

Three months after his May conviction he was convicted of the same thing only this time he trespassed on state supported land and was sentenced to 35 days in a cage at county expense and ordered to pay $298 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $278.

In his most recent case Eva Walker has charged Gooch with Aggravated Battery to a Nurse, Aggravated Assault in a Public Place, Public Indecency/Lewd Exposure and Criminal Damage to Property.

It appears penis-boy may get a little more than just a couple of days in jail if convicted.

Cash bond in the case was set at $1,000.

SALINE CO.— A Los Angeles, Calif., man who recently moved to the area is charged with leading authorities on a high-speed chase reaching over 100 mph before crashing the vehicle.

According to information filed in the case, on July 21 at approximately 12:26 a.m. deputy Michael Casteel was on routine patrol pulling out of Mach 1 in Harrisburg when he spotted a white 2009 Pontiac passenger car southbound on Commercial Street weaving in and out of its lane, crossing over into the left lane.

When Casteel pulled his cruiser in behind the Pontiac, later learned to be driven by Shawn D. Smith, 20, more recently of 168 Washington St., Maunie, he noted the car continued crossing into the left lane.

As the vehicle approached Parker Plaza, Casteel activated his emergency lights to execute a traffic stop at which time Smith accelerated and begin traveling at a high rate of speed.

Casteel notified dispatch he was in pursuit and noted that Smith was traveling at 85 mph as they passed McDonald’s on Commercial Street headed south out of Harrisburg.

As the pursuit continued Smith continued weaving in and out of his lane and in the 5000 block of Rte. 45, north of Carrier Mills, reached speeds in excess of 100 mph.

At 5780 Rte. 45 Smith lost control of the car, ran off the highway, struck a mailbox and came to rest in the front yard of the home at 5780 Rte. 45.

As Casteel was bringing his cruiser to a halt he noticed that a male and a female exited the car and took off on foot, running west.

“I yelled for the suspects to stop and I immediately made chase,” Casteel said. “I was able to catch up with the female subject, I later identified as Randi Foster, 19, of Elizabethtown, and took her into custody in a nearby field.”

Like a scared rabbit

Casteel and Harrisburg officer Kenny Shires caught up with Smith a short time later hiding in a wooded area near the bike path.

A quick check on the vehicle showed the registered owner to be Jennifer Hargrove, who had reported the car stolen out of Maunie.

A little more than an hour from the time the incident began, Smith was interviewed and informed officers that he lived with his aunt and uncle in Maunie and that he had just moved there about a month prior from Los Angeles, Calif.

Smith admitted to taking his aunt’s car without permission and went to Carmi to meet up with Foster whom he said he met a week prior.

He said he agreed to take the teen to a relative’s house in Carrier Mills.

He also admitted that this wasn’t his first time being in trouble with the law.

In fact Smith had no valid driver’s license and had an active juvenile warrant out of White County.

Foster said that Smith had picked her up at a gas station in Carmi and agreed to take her to Carrier Mills.

She told Casteel that when he pulled in behind them as they passed the Harrisburg Mach 1, Smith began fleeing from police advising her that the car was stolen.

After the crash Foster claims that Smith told her that she’d better run.

Not her first time in a stolen car

And as convincing as Foster’s version of events sounds, it’s odd that at the time she was on first-time offender status after being convicted of felony Aiding/Abetting/the Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle for which she was ordered to 30 hours public service and to study/receive vocational training.

She was also ordered to pay $1,002 in fines and fees, of which she still owes $952.

Foster was booked on a charge of Resisting a Peace Officer.

The driver, on the other hand, didn’t get by so easy.

Mr. Shawn D. Smith from L.A./Maunie was booked into the county jail on charges of Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle for taking auntie’s ride, Aggravated Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer for his intolerance of speed limits and general lack of driving abilities, and Resisting or Obstructing a Peace Officer for failure to obey commands to stop and making the officers dig his sorry arse out of the woods.

A quick glance at Smith’s mugshot may explain why he is such a bad driver. The mug makes it look as if he may have trouble with his feet reaching the pedals.

It’s doubtful that would hold up as any kind of defense.

There was no bond information available in Fosters’ latest case; however, at last check, Mr. Smith, a single, unemployed father of one, was still sitting in a county cage at the detention center in lieu of $2,000 cash bond.

Apparently the homies from L.A. haven’t come through yet.

SALINE CO.—Alleged misdemeanor crims have stepped up their game this past couple of weeks, and court authorities and police officials alike are noting the winter can’t come fast enough, as there’s a lot less outside activity during that time, thus tamping down some of the ridiculousness people get involved in in Saline County.

Needs some instruction vids

Of course, burglary and retail theft are two of those non-seasonal activities that are fairly constant, especially if there’s a Walmart in town.

And it appears that as of mid-July, one Taryn Bishop, 22, of Galatia, could probably have benefitted from watching one of the many retail “loss prevention” videos available on YouTube to let employees know what to watch out for, if for no other reason than to learn what she shouldn’t do…which is exactly what she was alleged to have done on July 16 that lead to her arrest.

Former Harrisburg police chief/now-sergeant Bob Smith reported that on that date shortly after 8 p.m., Walmart called to let him know they had a suspected shoplifter at the security office. Security had watched this individual (Bishop) take several items from the shelves in the store, then take several Walmart sacks from a register in the front of the store and conceal the items she had removed from the shelves into those sacks. She then left the store through the Lawn and Garden section, at which time the security officer (Matt Stanton) confronted her and escorted her to the security office. Smith asked Bishop if she had any money in her possession; she stated she didn’t.

Stanton’s report stated that he observed her selecting bags as she was making her way around the store, concealing items in the in numerous locations inside the store, continuing this behavior for over two hours. As it turned out, she had been apprehended before at Marion’s Walmart.

A quick tally of the merchandise showed it was over $200 worth; not enough for felony charges, but enough to call the police.

Bishop had one Sherry Fox of Galatia post $150 bond for her, and claimed indigency (no income) on her financial affidavit, which resulted in the appointment of Nathan Rowland for her defense counsel. She was set to make first appearance August 24.

The insanity of bath salts

Alleged smoking of bath salts lead to a July 17 report of dope activity in Galatia and the arrest of a man wanted on a Franklin County warrant.

This would be Bryan Motsinger, 38, of Galatia, who, Deputy Craig Williams was told, was at a residence on State Street to sell drugs.

When Williams arrived, he found the suspect truck, but a man by the name of Arthur Highfill sitting in it. Highfill said he’d come there with another guy whose name he didn’t know; the resident at the State Street address, Tiffani Barger, said she didn’t know Highfill, but that Motsinger was inside.

Motsinger was arrested, Highfill left on foot, not having a valid driver’s license.

Barger advised that Motsinger had been smoking bath salts in her residence with a large green glass pipe, and that she wanted the cops to search the residence for possible drugs or contraband. A red backpack was found, containing a small glass pipe with residue, which Williams suspected came from bath salts; but then Barger located another glass pipe – a green one – in the north bedroom of the place, along with a small gold plastic bag containing suspected bath salt in the area where Motsinger had been hiding before apprehension.

After all this, however, authorities could only get Motsinger on misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia for the green pipe. He was sent to jail and held in lieu of a $500 bond. Even if he’d had the amount on him, it’s unlikely he’d know what to do with it if his financial affidavit is any indication; the chicken scrawls are fairly indicative that he was under the influence of something and barely knew his own name.

Motsinger has quite the record in Franklin County, and is currently under felony charges there of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Driving Revoked, along with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Cops give alleged violator a ride

A Violation of a Plenary Stalking/No-Contact Order came about on July 22 from a July 14 incident wherein a woman at a well-known insurance office was allegedly being harassed by a man she’d already obtained protection from.

The woman was Jessica Sutton, working for Nancy Braddock’s State Farm Insurance in Eldorado; she was receiving repeat calls from one Chris Kovach, against whom she’d sought and obtained an OP on June 25 because he was making threats to do bodily harm to her.

On that day, he’d called 13 times, so Sutton was asking he be arrested. He in fact called while the police were there, and actually spoke with Eldorado Officer James Williams…whom Kovach asked if he could “speak to Jessica.”

Kovach then stated he would “like it if someone would come and pick him up and take him to the insurance office to speak with Jessica.”

Williams advised Kovach that an officer would be around to pick him up.

Kovach, 39, was given a ride to the jail instead, and charged with the violation and held on a $500 cash bond; he was issued a court date of August 17.

Barrall battle

Confusion over who was telling the truth about an alleged Domestic Battery situation in Eldorado didn’t stop the cops from bringing in the male of the couple in question in late July.

The incident was reported to have occurred on Ridge Street in ’rado at 3:24 a.m. on the morning of July 25.

There, Officer Gabe Schimp was dispatched to the location to speak with Tanya Barrall, 38, who told Schimp that her husband Robby Barrall, 58, had left the residence before Schimp arrived, and that before that, he’d hit her vehicle passenger side window with a hammer. She also said he’d started to attack her and she put her hands up to protect herself while he tried to hit her with said hammer, but he’d struck her on the arms and hands. Schimp said he said what appeared to be claw marks and bleeding from her fingers, but she refused medical help.

She did say, however, that her husband threatened to kill her when he came back.

Schimp found Barrall at his residence on Locust at 7:05 that evening. Barrall told the officer that he did break out the window, but it was with a cane, not a hammer; and he said he hadn’t touched Tanya.

Schimp noted in his report that he’d seen a cane near the vehicle; however, he never located a hammer. Nevertheless, he placed Barrall under arrest for Domestic Battery and took him to jail

Barrall remains there on a $750 cash bond. He was also the recipient of an OP as filed by Tonya, who said she’s sick of the abuse, and that her felonious hubby needs to be put away.

Mom alleges battery by daughter

In another ’rado incident, this one occurring a little earlier but only just charged on July 24, on June 28, a knock-down drag-out between mother and daughter resulted in a charge for the daughter.

Ginger E. Williams, the mother in question, was the victim of her 18-year-old offspring, Haley S. Lavanture, who allegedly had a fit over some undisclosed issue and had slapped her mother, grabbed her by her arms, threw her on the couch, screamed “give me my sh!t!!”, told her mother she’d destroy her “sh!t,” poured over a potted plant, flung cushions, threw a metal ashtray (which mom successfully blocked) and slapped her across the face before storming out on foot…but only after stating that if mom got any closer, Haley would hit her with a rake she’d picked up, this after hitting the windows with said rake.

Mom said she had the teens phone and purse to assure she would not steal or break anything in the house.

Officer Clint Hooper found Haley at 1409 Eldorado Street and placed her under arrest, not obtaining an explanation for the snit.

She’s charged with Domestic Battery and set for an August 17 hearing, despite the fact that mom had a change of heart and on July 27, asked for the charges to be dismissed.

It might be the 17th before any decision is reached on that.

Caller gets busted

Another domestic, this one in Harrisburg, occurred between stepsisters in early July.

On July 6, county dispatch took a call from Rachael Mann, 22, reporting a fight between Mann and her stepsister Deanna Byrd at 100 McDermott Road. Responding officers found Rachael with a busted lip and scratch marks on her arm.

However, Deanna said that Rachael came after her and hit her in the face and kicked her in the stomach; as well, there were marks on her neck where she’d been scratched.

Rachael was the one arrested and charged. The slightly famous Neash Sparks of Harrisburg posted the $500 bond for Mann, who was given an Aug. 10 court date.

Quick misdemeanors

In the quick misdemeanors, an arrest was made June 10 of Gilbert Rodriquez on a charge of Attempt Failure to Possess Firearm Owner’s ID Card, wherein it’s alleged that the 43-year-old resident of Muddy attempted to possess a Bersa .380 pistol when he didn’t have a valid FOID (documents indicate it was revoked), this not being charged until August 6, likely after a thorough investigation. He has a Sept. 14 court date.

James M. Combs, 59, of Eldorado, was the subject of a charge issued Aug. 6 as well, wherein he was accused of misdemeanor Domestic Battery against a family or household member, Stephanie J. Pool on July 21. A warrant has been issued for his arrest; as of press time, it remained unserved.

A June 23 incident of Unlawful Use of Weapon – without much explanation of what lead up to it – was brought against Raleigh resident Dustin Dwight Williax, 35, after he was alleged to have been in possession of a dangerous knife with intent to use it unlawfully against another.

Free camping?

In the early August filings, those pertain to more of that pesky retail theft that knows no season and keeps people hopping if they hope to keep their retail shrinkage down on an annual basis.

Walmart received help in this aspect from their loss prevention folks who discovered Adawnya Henderson, 22, and Robert Neel, 26, both of Carrier Mills, allegedly pulling the same stunt that opened the article: Shortly after noon on July 22, at the Harrisburg Walmart, the two were pushing a cart with a very large empty-looking purse in it, at which time they selected two hatchets, one canteen and a hand chainsaw wire; the put those items in the top of the cart next to the purse; then Neel was observed by store security placing the canteen and one of the hatchets inside the purse, and the wire in his back pocket.

Apparently intent on doing a little free camping, the pair continued, with Henderson picking up the purse out of the cart and heading to the garden center. Neel, store security said, went through the cash register and paid for a two-liter soda but not anything else. The two then went past the last point of sale without paying for any of the other items. At that point, they were stopped by loss prevention.

Upon being searched, Neel was discovered to have allegedly concealed another hatchet – somehow – in the groin area of his pants.

Total take: just under $100. The two were transported to jail, charged formally with Retail Theft under $300, and given bond amounts of $500.

Booze and beef

In an unrelated Retail Theft by Accountability case, filed Aug. 6, Elizabeth Ricketts, 24, of Harrisburg, was charged with, on July 11, carrying off a bottle of whiskey from Walmart.

Brand of said whiskey wasn’t made available, but it was under $300, so it wasn’t any kind of “fine” version.

Christopher Sandefur, 28, of Harrisburg, apparently wanted to top the weird meter out for alleged theft from Walmart, the weird part being how he might’ve thought he’d get out the store with all that: on July 27, authorities allege, he attempted to carry away two Tyson roasts, three pounds of ground beef (brand not mentioned) and a wastebasket (presumably to tote all that meat.)

He was charged Aug. 6 with said theft.

See? It can be charged

And finally, ISP and Saline state’s attorney officials show all the other counties in the area that child beatings can and should be charged.

After a bit of investigation, on Aug. 7, Whitney B. Crayne, 26, of Harrisburg, was charged with a misdemeanor count of Endangering the Life or Health of a Child in that on May 12, she knowingly permitted the health of her son, KM, age 8, to be endangered by failing to intervene when she observed Dylan J. Brugger striking KM with a plastic clothes hanger.

A warrant had been issued for Crayne on the 7th, with a thousand dollar bond attached.

SALINE CO.—For all the July 31 hoopla surrounding the court appearance made by the two women charged with serious felonies in connection with the Anna Bixby Women’s Center, the public probably thought there was something huge happening in the case.

But there wasn’t. It was just a pretrial conference previously scheduled for Barbara Wingo, 77, and her daughter, Terrie Eichorn, 50, both of them accused of Forgery, Wire Fraud, Monetary Concealment, Loan Fraud, Defrauding a Financial Institution, Trustee Misusing Funds, Continuing Financial Criminal Enterprises, and more.

Not that that’s not enough.

But the situation in Saline County criminal court for the two, indicted by an Attorney General’s grand jury held in that county, is very typical for these kinds of serious felonies and misdemeanors, and since the late March indictments and arrests, has been dragging through the court system and likely will be until the two tire of putting out money and agree to some kind of equitable first-time offender plea…which may or may not entail some prison time.

What the hoopla on Friday, July 31, did do, however, is cause Disclosure to begin digging into what was going on with the two at the Anna Bixby Women’s Center (ABC) in the months leading up to the charges, those ensuing months being when Disclosure was among the first to indicate that there was something big brewing for the domestic violence/abused women’s center.

As it turns out, Wingo knew all of it was being investigated and was likely just sitting around fretting, waiting to be indicted.

But while she was sitting and fretting, she was griping mightily to the feds…who hadn’t even gotten involved in the matter (and still aren’t; the case remains at the state level for now).

In January of this year, Wingo filed a motion in federal court, Benton, for an order pursuant to “customer challenge provision of the right to financial privacy act of 1978.”

In this motion, her attorney, Terry Green (who is her criminal attorney in the Saline County case), was seeking to block the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice (one of the investigating arms for the Illinois Attorney General in the ABC case) from obtaining information from Wingo’s various financial institutions as listed, including Elan Financial Services, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Paducah Bank, Banterra Bank and Citibank Citi Card.

Wingo had taken issue with subpoenas delivered to these institutions, and was formally objecting to them, to the feds, regarding the USDOJ attempting to obtain the records from those institutions.

“The subpoenas ask for basically records related to the Anna Bixby Women’s Center and its Foundation,” the court documents show Green, for Wingo, griping. “Movant (Wingo) does not object to those records being made available, but Movant does however object to the attempt of the Government to obtain the personal records of Movant or her businesses.”

The motion makes reference to an affidavit Wingo had submitted to that effect.

The motion then requests that the federal court enter an order denying the described subpoenas or limiting the same to records actually in the name of the Anna Bixby Center or Foundation, as well as any other further relief as is equitable and just.

Throughout the rest of the filing, Wingo engaged in what appears to be obfuscations about the subpoenas as issued.

“Regarding Subpoena 2350: I am uncertain if I have had an account at Elan Financial Services,” she stated in her affidavit. “If I have or had such an account I object to the subpoena as presently prepared in that the records sought are for accounts of a Dorothy Hanks, Terri Wingo, Terri Wingo-Eichorn, or Terrie Eichorn. I am not those persons. My name is listed on the said subpoena and I do believe the financial records sought by the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice are not relevant to the legitimate law enforcement inquiry stated in the Customer Notice that was sent to me because any personal account I may have is not a depository or other account which has received funds from the Department of Justice. The Notice fails to give any valid or relevant reason why my personal records should be turned over to the Department of Justice.”

The affidavit goes on in that vein for all the named financial institutions which received the subpoenas.

The subpoenas are then attached.

What they show, effectively, is what was being done at that time: the state was attempting to find out just what “mix” there was with Wingo’s and Eichorn’s personal finances as they pertained to money being filtered, allegedly, through the ABC and the ABC Foundation, which had been set up as a separate enterprise, and which the women are alleged to have been using for personal purposes and businesses, such as Salon 716, the now-defunct hair salon Eichorn was running in Harrisburg.

Judge Phil Gilbert ordered the DOJ to file a sworn response on or before Jan. 23. Instead, they filed a motion for extension of time, and he granted it.

In early February, after Gilbert reviewed the records sought in camera, he denied Wingo’s motion.

On March 30, Wingo and Eichorn were indicted.

Their next court hearing has been set in Saline County for October 9…at which time there might be more hoopla, but which also just gets both women closer to either a plea, or a jury trial…most likely, the former over the latter.

ELDORADO—A late-July burglary of a prominent Eldorado business lead to the short-lived escape of “one of” the punks accused of carrying it out.

And that punk has been charged, but whether there actually was another is only slightly in question at this point, as it appears that it was a ruse to get officers’ attention off the teen who is accused of pulling off the whole thing; and what’s more, many are questioning how that punk, Cody Ward, could have gotten out of police custody, and in particular a squad car, when he was first caught.

That answer might simply be because there was a considerable amount of activity going on at Medicap Pharmacy, located at 1101 U.S. Route 45 North in Eldorado, on the morning of Friday, July 31…and, punks being what they are, Ward took advantage of the chaos.

Reports indicate that at about 5:45 a.m., the burglar alarm went off at the pharmacy, indicating a break-in. This alerted Saline County dispatch, and Eldorado police arrived at the scene to find the back door of the building open, and the drive-thru window broken.

When officers entered the building, they found Ward, 19, of Eldorado, inside.

There was an indication – from Ward – that there was another person with Ward in the alleged break-in, and while officers worked with Ward to secure him in cuffs, having him first on the ground outside the building (where a Disclosure source observed him, this from a gas station across the way), the search through the building was underway.

An Eldorado officer then secured Ward in the back of his squad, handcuffed, and police began to look for the second suspect.

This was when Ward, a scrawny career crim, was able to make his way through the cage of the squad, and subsequently out an open front door of said squad…still in cuffs, and wearing the best attire of the crim world, pajama pants and a dark sweatshirt.

Ward got away to the wooded area behind McDonald’s in Eldorado and was on the run for a little more than a day.

On the evening of Saturday, August 1, Eldorado Police Chief Shannon Deuel notified Disclosure that Ward had been located in the Wasson area of Saline County on Goolsby Road. The public, having been alerted to Ward’s disappearance since the day before, had been on the lookout, and someone had notified Saline County, who dispatched deputies to pick Ward up.

Missing were the cuffs.

Deuel told Disclosure that the cuffs had been recovered, but “in about six pieces,” he said with a grim little laugh.

Ward was taken into custody, and made a court appearance the following Monday (Aug. 3), where he heard the charges against him – for now. He’s facing a Class 2 felony Burglary in the Medicap Pharmacy break-in, and Class 2 felony Escape for wriggling out of Saline County Deputy Michael Casteel’s squad.

As well, he’s charged with Class 4 felony Criminal Damage to Property over $300 for the drive-up window and two rear entrance doors of Medicap in ’rado.

His bail was set at $25,000 ($2,500 cash bond), which he hadn’t made as of press time, Aug. 9.

And what of the “other person inside”?

As it turns out, that was probably a ruse put forth by Ward, so the attention of the officers would turn off him and back toward the business…and he could make his escape, which is exactly what he did.

Ward, for his youthful age, is on his way to the dregs of society if he doesn’t pull himself out of it; last year he was convicted of a misdemeanor battery; and currently, his girlfriend, Valerie Grace Jones, six years older than Ward, is pregnant with baby number 5 (potentially Ward’s third with her, although there are multiple fathers in the mix).

He’s set for a next court appearance on Aug. 20.

We're putting out so many papers these days, we're probably going to have to start putting date ranges on the front so everybody will know they're getting the latest!

Print Headlines are presented by dateline (in caps; where the material in the article took place), then headline (with a link to the e-Edition version if you have an online membership); and are followed by a brief synopsis in our own snarky Disclosure style. Print Headlines are shown in order of how they appear in the paper: Front page, back page (a second front page), pages 2 and 3, Egypt, Heartland, Central, and Op-Ed. You can read the articles right here if you have a membership to the e-Edition, or by picking up a copy of the print version at any one of our wonderful vendors!

We're very excited to bring you the August 2015 issue, on stands for only two more weeks...and so now, without further ado, here are THIS ISSUE'S PRINT HEADLINES.

FRONT PAGE

Willie Tison

HAMILTON CO.--Pedestrian killed; was it an accident? The first story in several months that the typo gods got us on; coverage of the accident that took the life of an Eldorado man, happening on deadline and hurriedly decided to place on page 1 because of the questions that have arisen about it in the wake of the death of Willie Tison.

RICHLAND CO.--Vaughn in as prosecutor: Coverage of the ascension once again of Olney attorney Brad Vaughn to the office of state's attorney...and what this can mean for some of the citizens of Richland County.

Jessica Shadowens booking photo

HAMILTON CO.--OPs in strange case of accused murderer's girlfriend: It doesn't get much stranger than Jessica Shadowens. And here's the explanation for her recent jailing in Marion...with a distinctly Hamilton County-angle.

Jacob Holland

WHITE CO.--Stabbing: Sex offender charged: We heard directly from inside sources on what really went on with the alleged battery, then the alleged stabbing, in Carmi the first weekend of August. This is a gasp-inducing article; read it.

BACK PAGE

ELDORADO--Kid used ruse to get officers' attention off him; escapes: The reality of what Cody Ward did at the end of July comes out. What a punk this kid truly is.

RICHLAND CO.--Man disrupts wake; charged in Richland: The man who, as of this writing, is missing from Olney - here's the full story, as also linked in the Read the Lead posted earlier this morning. Anyone with info on Clifford Darrell is urged to contact authorities.

Barb Wingo

SALINE CO.--Anna Bixby hoopla turns up federal records: There was so much unnecessary hoopla going on during the most recent pretrial hearing for the two women accused of using the Anna Bixby Women's Center like their own personal savings and loan...we figured all the other media was covering it because we had been the ones to break the story last fall...but when we examined the situation to see just what was going on, we found something the mainstream media hadn't yet.

EDGAR CO.--Dee's digs getting facelift despite bankruptcy: Dee Burgin. Again. And what's he doing to his HOUSE??

PAGE 2

SALINE CO.--Authorities are ready for the cold weather, hoping it'll slow down the crim activity: We are so glad many of the other mainstream papers in our area stopped reporting misdemeanors. It's given us a chance to report on them...and some of them are astonishing, some downright amusing. Enjoy these out of Saline County.

PAGE 3

Gotta beat that new clinic.

CLAY CO.--Little change in hospital situation: Those who've been asking about the Clay County Hospital situation are still a little left behind, here...there's not a lot to report, even though it's our understanding that there's still a LOT going on. Here's what we know, though.

EGYPT

GALLATIN CO.--Ridgway, Norris City, and Eldorado trio nabbed for DUI: A Gallatin County crim roundup  with lots and lots of crossover, apparently.

SALINE CO.--Los Angeles man and Elizabethtown teen lead police on high-speed chase: This is the follow up to the big story that came out about a kid in Maunie "borrowing" his aunt's car.

GALLATIN CO.--Man with mohawk charged with meth: Not only is he charged with meth and has a mohawk...it's a weird color, too.

TARA WALLACE

HARDIN CO.--Prosecutor continues targeting area residents: The Tara-ble Wallace report out of Hardin County...because it's really no longer about those who she's charged, and it's difficult to chronicle who she DOESN'T charge...we'll just outline what's weird about the cases she IS charging.

HARDIN CO.--Hardin prosecutor hard-pressed with follow-throughs: There were a lot of miscellaneous remedy cases filed in Hardin County the previous two weeks, too. Which might not mean a lot to most people, but believe me...it's relevant to your interests, especially if you've been charged with a crime in Hardin.

GALLATIN CO.--Battery and weed make for a slow couple of weeks in Gallatin County: The basic crim roundup for Gallatin County.

GALLATIN CO.--OP battery allegations leads to felony charge over ammo...sort of: There might be a little bit of information missing in this entire thing, but if there is, it isn't because we didn't post it....it's because it just wasn't IN the file...which could be one of those he said/she said except for the fact that Allen Roe went the distance and charged the guy with a felony.

Shawn Michael Gooch, aka 'penis boy'

SALINE CO.--Penis displayed as nurse assaulted at Harrisburg Medical Center: Lovely Casey Harner is menaced at work by this guy, who just couldn't keep his hands--and other parts--off her.

SALINE CO.--Rash of ATV thefts plaguing the region: It must be a hot-weather thing, the stealing of ATVs and ATV parts. Because there sure is a lot of it going around.

SALINE CO.--Burglar charged with stealing child rapist's cell phone: There are some articles we write wherein we sit back after we're finished and go, "That couldn't POSSIBLY have happened..." and yet...it did.

HARDIN CO.--Face punch lands Stonefort man in the local lockup: A ROC One-Stop battery. There is usually one about ever so many months there.

SALINE CO. --Raleigh's "AKA woman" gets charged with pair of felonies: For those who don't know, "AKA" means "also known as." And this chick is known as a lot of different identities, actually...hence the headline.

SALINE CO.--Two busted for driving revoked, one goes to prison: There were an incredible number of felonies coming out of Saline this time over two weeks. We opted to free up pages 12 and 13 for them, so you get some of the mugs in color.

HARDIN CO.--Tina Williams surfaces again online; issues more threats: No one will ever stop Tina Williams, apparently. Well, maybe someone who she harasses mercilessly online will stop her. In their own way, head-on. We disavow any knowledge of it, in advance, if it happens.

SALINE CO.--Owen twins from Indy remain in hot water: Right. They're "from" Indianapolis. At some point in time, perhaps. Their local record tells the tale.

SALINE CO.--Lack of hair lands suspect behind bars: Sometimes, it doesn't pay to be who you are. In this case, it would've been better to have been wearing a BAD toupee, then ditched it, instead of having your bald head glowing for the victim to see.

SALINE CO.--Woman accused of beating up her own father: This is a horror story. We saw the guy up at the courthouse just a few days before we produced the article; he was looking bad.

SALINE CO.--Cops find bras supporting more than tiny ta's: Well, we're only presuming there were tiny ta's in there, as there wouldn't otherwise have been enough room for all the other stuff (allegedly) placed in the cups.

SALINE CO.--Facebook plea for help brings officers to domestic, then victim changes her mind: She did. The prosecution, however, did not.

HEARTLAND

Scott Barrett

CLARK CO.--Striving for propriety; par district board attorney might have stepped in it in July: When does the Clark County Park District NOT step in it, I ask you?? But this one is a doozy.

EDGAR CO.--Political season starts up: Edgar coroner candidate steps forward: A good news article about Edgar County, and one of the folks running for the very important office of county coroner...with a little explanation as to why a county coroner IS important.

CRAWFORD CO.--Flat Rock huffing suspect runs out of gas, busted for DUI: These people who huff. I don't get it. If someone could take the time to explain what this kind of activity does to their brains, I think they might stop. But then again...maybe not.

JASPER CO.--Newton couple facing drug charges again: We find ourselves at times wishing someone would just put Ecko Wells away...but then again, if someone did, we wouldn't have anything to write about once a year when she gets arrested routinely.

Harry Oliver's monthly mug

CRAWFORD CO.--Sex offender: Oliver's dope dabbling not enough to get charged with real crime: There are two downfalls here: Harry Oliver keeps skirting around the law; and if Robinson didn't have "ordinance violations" that encompassed synthetics, he'd have likely at least been charged with a misdemeanor, which, cumulatively speaking, might actually get this idiot put away eventually.

CRAWFORD CO.--Face punch, 9mm and sticky fingers focus of Crawford general criminal report: There's almost as much face-punching going on in this issue as there is ATV stealing. Wow.

JASPER CO.--Drug bust lands couple behind bars, leads to EOP: In this EOP, it's not real clear who the chick is more mad at - the perp, or the cops!

CRAWFORD CO.--Lawrenceville Green busted with buddy: It's not the Green in question that we feel needs mowed (you know...like a lawn); it's a black Green. LOL

CRAWFORD CO.--Quite the roundup in the misdemeanor files for Crawford: Like we said earlier...misdemeanors are fun. We should've been doing them all along.

CENTRAL

Bradley McCulley

CLAY CO.--Former sheriff's son subject of OP: Every so often - usually about once a year - lil Sonny McCulley's brat boy pops up on the courthouse run. This is one of those times; they're getting closer and closer together, too.

RICHLAND CO.--Son of mother-son incest case charged with sex crime: It doesn't get much sicker than this mess, and no one should be surprised that this Kimmel kid is back on the rolls, charged with a sex crime other than incest. Hopefully, with a new prosecutor in town who knows what he's doing, this nonsense can be STOPPED.

David Clayton Young, multi-county offender...alleged of course

HAMILTON CO.--Young guys from Hamilton hemmed up over deer kills in off-season; too many in-season after Facebook post: We're not sure how all of this came to the attention of the IDNR guys. Doesn't matter. Putting this one together was quite the task because...we could just visualize the IDNR guy writing out those citations, one after the next after the next after the next. We felt that way when we were done writing the article.

WHITE CO.--Thief charged with lying about violent punk: This is one of those you have to ask yourself: Which is worse, thieving, or violence?

WHITE CO.--Precursors, identity theft pack White ten crim report: Are we packed out with White County crims this month or WHAT??

WHITE CO.--Mimmo's targeted by teens: And if you think it's bad enough that they'd allegedly target a place as nice as Mimmo's...wait til you see who it is (hint: Check the IDNR citations).

HAMILTON CO.--McLeansboro woman enters guilty plea in federal court to embezzlement: The print version of the article presented here when Carolyn Hall entered her plea the other day. Yes, there are still people who don't read us online, and this is an important story.

LAWRENCE CO.--Previously convicted sex offender charged in new case: There are plenty of sex offenders coming out of Lawrence County lately, and prosecutor Chris Quick is attempting to make short work of them. Here are two.

HAMILTON CO.--Mexican busted on the reservoir: You know...if one of us legal Americans had been busted somewhere in Meheekoh driving only on an American license, you can dang sure BET we wouldn't be being treated as good as this guy is.

Charles E. Chase

CLAY CO.--Iuka meth felon headed to prison after playing kick-the-cop: Our one big felony coming out of Clay County this issue. It was, we're sure gratefully for them, a quiet two weeks, relatively.

RICHLAND CO.--Salem man busted with cocaine in Richland: Another of those nice crossovers. But, busted with a no-very-nice drug that doesn't exactly grow on trees in Richland County, ya know?

WHITE CO.--Cajun from N'Awleans and property damage highlight misdemeanors in White: Another Louisiana alleged offender in White County. Think he knows the obnoxious Jennifer Yates?

OP-ED

COLUMNS
SURLY & UNCOOPERATIVE (Jack): Trying to work hard on being trans-angry
ICY (Ang): Accident underscores how proud we are to have done away with slavery

BACK OVER YOUR TALES: The big stories from the August-September issue of Disclosure, 2010: This was a biggun, with more Todd Fort coverage; also Brian Mann gets hemmed up in a dope raid; family feud in Gallatin County escalates to violence; Brittany Lane gets arrested; Ricky Wayne Brown charged with counts related to the abduction of a 13-year-old girl; Tom Seiner's daughter involved in a car crash on the weekend of the ICP in Hardin County, and more.

WHITE CO., Ill.--Illinois State Police District 19 Commander, Captain Kelly Hodge, announced today activity and enforcement figures for the month of July.

Troopers in District 19, which includes Wabash, Edwards, Wayne, White, Hamilton, Saline, and Gallatin Counties, recorded 1,254 incidents during the month.

Enforcement activity consisted of 583 citations and 848 written warnings, including 321 speeding citations, 10 DUIs, 70 seatbelt citations, 5 child restraint citations, 352 written warnings for speeding, and 17 criminal arrests.

Troopers also assisted 86 motorists, conducted 191 Motor Carrier Safety Inspections, and investigated 20 traffic crashes.

There were two fatal traffic crashes investigated by District 19 during July, resulting
in two fatalities.

In addition, 421 citations and 414 written warnings were issued for "Fatal Four" violations. These violations are most associated with fatal traffic crashes and include Speeding, DUI, Failure to Wear a Seatbelt, and Distracted Driving.

# # #

Illinois State Police is Committed to Driving Zero Fatalities to a Reality.

HARRISBURG, Ill.--Two shooting incidents that have resulted in really concerned neighbors of those in both areas earlier today.

While information is scant, this is what we've been able to confirm:

Harrisburg police are investigating two unrelated shootings in Harrisburg today.

One is alleged to have been "practice fire," but inside city limits.

The second is an investigation into an alleged accidental/self-inflicted injury.

We have NO information on who is involved in either.

However, we are hearing from those in the area of the practice rounds that it was out by Sunset Lawn Cemetery.

There was a LOT of police presence in town, including that of Illinois State Police

When we know more, we'll report. Keep checking back; info is still coming in tonight.

SALINE CO., Ill.--As another school year begins, the Saline County State’s Attorney’s office and the District Superintendents of Saline County want to remind families that the Truancy Review Board will continue to serve the students and schools of Saline County through the 2015-2016 school year.

Students who are between the ages 6 years and 17 are required to attend school every day, unless they are excused. Each school’s attendance policy will provide information to the parents and students on what type of absence is unexcused, and when a student reaches 9 unexcused absences they are considered truant. When a student is truant, they are referred to the Saline County Truancy Review Board.

The Saline County Truancy Review Board meets once a week when school is in session and consists of a neutral hearing officer, the State’s Attorney, members of the student’s school administration, truancy officers, representatives from the Egyptian Health Department and the Department of Children and Family Services. These members provide the family with services and accommodations designed to alleviate the cause of the child’s truancy. The board is student focused and members of this board are willing and ready to assist the student and their family in resolving the issues which are leading to the student’s truancy. If, after the Saline County Truancy Review Board meeting, the truancy persists, the parent or guardian will be charged with criminal charges.

Illinois law (105 ILCS 5/26-10) provides that it is a Class C Misdemeanor for a parent or caregiver to contribute to the truancy of a minor. Violation of this law carries a maximum fine of $500 and 30 days in the Saline County Detention Center.

We hope you have a wonderful school year!

Michael Henshaw, Saline County State’s Attorney
Michael Gauch, Harrisburg Unit #3 Superintendent
Beth Rister, Galatia C.U.D #1 Superintendent
Ryan Hobbs, Eldorado C.U.D. #4 Superintendent
Richard Morgan, Carrier Mills-Sonefort C.U.D. #2 Superintendent

HARRISBURG, Ill.--There appear to have been injuries in a two-car collision this evening (about 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, August 18) in Harrisburg.

The wreck happened at the end of the Parker Plaza intersection on US 45/Commercial Drive through town.

Witnesses say a red Jeep hit a black car, which caused the Jeep to take out the NAPA sign/curb.

Two ambulances were on scene at 6:15, along with two police cars. Traffic was held up/diverted. The people in the black car walked away limping, which is understandable, as witnesses say the black car spun when it was struck. The driver of black car is the one sitting in ditch.

Nothing appeared life threatening, according to those on-scene.

A wrecker was on scene at about 6:17.

.

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HARDIN CO., Ky./SALINE CO., Ill.— An Eldorado, Ill., woman was taken into custody in Hardin, Ky., yesterday (August 18) after officers say they discovered an active methamphetamine lab while they were serving a warrant.

According to Kentucky State Police, they were executing an arrest warrant on one John Nicholas of Benton, Ky., who was wanted on a probation violation.

The state trooper, accompanied by a Marshall County, Ky., deputy, arrived at Nicholas’ home he was sharing at the time with Amanda Duncan, 33, of Eldorado, Ill., and knocked on the door.

And knocked, and knocked and knocked…

The continued knocking by authorities was because despite no one answering they distinctly heard noises coming from within the home.

When the officers caught the scent of what smelled like a meth lab, they checked the area around the home and found numerous inactive meth labs.

And that’s about the time additional officers were called to the residence and once in place, the authorities entered the home where they found Nicholas, Duncan and 45-year-old James E. Warford, of Hardin, Ky.

They also discovered numerous meth labs located inside the home.

Preliminary charges indicate that Duncan was charged with a probation violation, however the details of what she was on probation for were not readily available.

Nicholas was collared on his outstanding warrant for an alleged violation of the Kentucky Criminal Code.

And Mr. Warford was charged with Unlawful Manufacture of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana and a probation violation.

All three were housed in the Marshall County Kentucky Detention Center.

Remember all that hoopla going on over a pretrial hearing that Barb Wingo and Terrie Eichorn had held for them in late July? And all the media outlets ran with it, making it like it was some kind of big stinking deal...but it really wasn't, it was just a pretrial hearing?

That got our curiosity up. Because it wasn't a slow news day; it just appeared to be much ado about nothing...which is exactly what it was, it was like lamestream media and TV were trying to make up for the fact that they hadn't been the ones to break the story about the grand jury in Saline County being conducted by the Illinois Attorney General's office, so they were going to report on every little step in court.

And so, when our curiosity was up, we looked into the matter, thinking maybe there was something that had happened that the other media didn't want to report, but were going to slyly mention they knew something about. Turns out, that wasn't the case at all...but when we researched files on PACER, we found the material that came up that produced this article for your mid-day Read the Lead: Anna Bixby hoopla turns up federal records

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Barb Wingo, mugshot from Saline County Detention Center Monday, March 30.

SALINE CO.—For all the July 31 hoopla surrounding the court appearance made by the two women charged with serious felonies in connection with the Anna Bixby Women’s Center, the public probably thought there was something huge happening in the case.

But there wasn’t. It was just a pretrial conference previously scheduled for Barbara Wingo, 77, and her daughter, Terrie Eichorn, 50, both of them accused of Forgery, Wire Fraud, Monetary Concealment, Loan Fraud, Defrauding a Financial Institution, Trustee Misusing Funds, Continuing Financial Criminal Enterprises, and more.

Not that that’s not enough.

But the situation in Saline County criminal court for the two, indicted by an Attorney General’s grand jury held in that county, is very typical for these kinds of serious felonies and misdemeanors, and since the late March indictments and arrests, has been dragging through the court system and likely will be until the two tire of putting out money and agree to some kind of equitable first-time offender plea…which may or may not entail some prison time.

What the hoopla on Friday, July 31, did do, however, is cause Disclosure to begin digging into what was going on with the two at the Anna Bixby Women’s Center (ABC) in the months leading up to the charges, those ensuing months being when Disclosure was among the first to indicate that there was something big brewing for the domestic violence/abused women’s center.

As it turns out, Wingo knew all of it was being investigated and was likely just sitting around fretting, waiting to be indicted.

But while she was sitting and fretting, she was griping mightily to the feds…who hadn’t even gotten involved in the matter (and still aren’t; the case remains at the state level for now).

In January of this year, Wingo filed a motion in federal court, Benton, for an order pursuant to “customer challenge provision of the right to financial privacy act of....

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To read the rest of this article, click on the headline link above the excerpt if you have an online membership to the e-Edition; or, if you don't, simply click this link here to get started! The e-Edition is the most convenient way to get your Disclosure fix, but if you would rather pick up a hard copy, be sure to visit one of our many vendors throughout southern Illinois before next Tuesday, when the NEW issue hits the stands and replaces the current issue! In Harrisburg, visit Discount Food Mart on Main Street and our new vendor, JD's Gaming, on Commercial Drive; and in Raleigh, Raleigh Quick Mart!

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SALINE CO., Ill.--A collision between a passenger car and a motorcycle has sent the motorcycle operator and his passenger to out-of-area hospitals.

The collision occurred on U.S. 45 at Mandella Trce in Saline County yesterday, Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 8:58 p.m.

At that time, a red 2013 Harley Davidson motorcycle being operated by Ronald A. Brachear, 61, of Harrisburg was traveling northbound on U.S. Route 45 at Mandella Trce. when for unknown reasons, he crossed the center line into the southbound lane and struck head-on a blue 2010 Hyundai Elantra, being driven by Timothy L. Warren, 27, of Vienna.

On the bike was a passenger, Gwendolyn S. Jones, 54, also of Harrisburg.

Brachear and Jones were transported from the crash scene by the Saline County Ambulance Service to an area hospital. Brachear was later transferred to a hospital in Evansville, Indiana, while Jones was transferred to a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Warren refused medical treatmentat the crash scene. Both vehicles were towed from the scene.

While the cause of the crash has been listed as Improper Lane Usage, Illinois State Police have not issued any charges in relation to it.

ISP District 19 was assisted at the crash scene by the Saline County Sheriff's Department and Saline County
Ambulance Service.

SALINE CO.— An Eldorado woman with schizophrenia has been charged with beating up her mother.

According to information filed in the case, on August 16, at approximately 2:23 p.m. Eldorado officers Gabe Schimp and Jared Gott responded to a call from Dollar General Store employee Jane Fryer concerning two females fighting in a car.

Upon arrival officers spoke with Brandy N. Jackson, 26, of the 2000 block of North Main St., Eldorado, and were informed that she was upset because her mother would not give her money to buy a shirt she wanted from the Dollar General Store.

“She advised that that’s what they were fighting about,” Schimp said. “I explained to her that that was no reason to get in a fight.”

“What else are we suppose to do?” Jackson asked Schimp.

When asked the details of the fight, Jackson, explaining what happened, then suddenly told Schimp there was no fight.

That’s about the time officer Gott asked Jackson about the wads of hair from her mother’s head on the passenger side of the car.

And that’s about the time Jackson became combative and had to be leaned into the police cruiser and double-locked in handcuffs.

When Brand’s mother, 57-year-old Edna M. Jackson, was asked what happened, she informed officers that her daughter suffered from schizophrenia and advised that they had been inside the Dollar General Store and when she informed her daughter she did not have the money to buy the shirt she wanted, her daughter began to argue with her.

Edna Jackson said she advised the store employee as they were walking out of the store that if her daughter started to fight her to call police.

And apparently that’s exactly what happened.

Edna said once inside the car, her daughter hit her on the right side of her face with her fist and during the altercation pulled out clumps of her hair.

When asked what she saw, Fryer said she watched as Brandy slapped her mother inside the car.

She said Brandy then grabbed her mother by her hair, yanked her head into her lap and started beating on her.

Brandy was transported to the county jail and charged with felony Domestic Battery.

Brandy Jackson has three convictions in Franklin County for Domestic Battery.

Cash bond in the case was set at $750.

Pribble-Horton

Jimmy L. Pribble-Horton, 34, has been charged with two counts of Criminal Trespass to an Occupied Residence.

Formal charges in the case allege that on July 7 Pribble-Horton knowingly entered the residence of Jessica M. Edwards and Jonathan P. Brown, located at the 4100 block of Rose of Sharon Rd., Galatia and remained in the residence after knowing that one or more individuals were present.

No bond information was filed in the case.

SALINE CO.— A Carterville woman is facing felony Theft and Forgery charges after authorities say she stole checks from a man she was living with and deposited them into her own account.

According to reports, on August 8 at 11:49 a.m. Charles M. Gribble, 48, came to the Saline County Sheriff’s Office to make a complaint about Tammy R. Ninness, 46, of the 1300 block of West Grant St., Carterville, stealing checks from his checkbook and signing his name to them.

Gribble explained that Ninness was a friend who had been living with him.

When he noticed the checks missing Gribble said he contacted his bank and went looking for the bank statement on which those checks would have appeared.

He said he found the statement in his bedroom under Ms. Ninness’ underwear.

Gribble said he texted Ninness and she admitted to taking and signing the checks but said she would pay him back.

He said he informed her that he was going to the police.

While authorities were trying to contact Ninness, they were called again by Gribble who reported to them that a black and red leather purse belonging to his deceased wife containing her social security card, checkbook and three rings, one white gold with three diamonds, one plain gold band and one white gold ring with a single diamond was missing.

Police got a break looking for Ninness when they received a tip that she had just walked into the Dollar General Store in Parker Plaza, in Harrisburg.

Ninness told authorities that she had been given the checks and that since she was in Harrisburg and he wasn’t, she signed his name.

While talking with Ninness, deputy Chuck Welge noticed she had a black and red leather purse matching the one stolen from Gribble’s deceased wife.

When she gave permission for Welge to look inside, he discovered two rolls of hamburger and Fabreze scent blocks.

Ninness said the hamburger came from Farm Fresh and that she had brought the Fabreze from home.

Welge also found the white gold ring with three stones in it that Gribble had described.

When the deputy had General Dollar Store employee Jessica Couch look at the hamburger and Fabreze, she identified the items as coming from Dollar General.

Ninness couldn’t produce a receipt for the items.

Welge further confirmed that Ninness was lying about where the hamburger and Fabreze had come from when he asked the man Ninness was traveling with where they had stopped that day.

Dale L. Erlenbush, 50, said that Dollar General was the only place they had stopped.

He did not mention anything about being at Farm Fresh.

Gribble and his sister Vicki S. Pankey both later identified the purse as the one stolen from Gribble’s home.

Ninness was formally booked into the county detention center on charges of Theft $500-$10,000 and Forgery.

Cash bond in the case was set at $2,000.

SALINE CO.— A Galatia man with a pending case for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol is now accused of getting drunk and beating a nine-year-old boy.

According to reports filed in the case, at 5:25 p.m. on May 16, Patrolman Jerod Campbell spoke with Mercedes “Bebe” Girot, at 395 Sloan Rd., Galatia about the incident she said took place at her residence, located at 400 Sloan Rd., Galatia, involving her husband Joseph “Joe” M. Girot, 40 and their young son.

Two additional witnesses to the beating, Angela Riddle and Julie Girot, also spoke with officer Campbell.

Bebe told Campbell that her husband had been drinking and was very intoxicated when their son returned home from being at a friend’s house.

She said that when their son went to get a popsicle, her husband was mad at him because he had not eaten supper.

Joe Girot is said to have grabbed the boy’s wrist to take the popsicle away and hit him in the back.

Shortly thereafter, Riddle said she came to the Girot home looking for her son’s backpack that he had left there.

When the boy told her it was in his bedroom, Joe Girot allegedly got furious for not getting up to get the backpack for Riddle and began yelling at the boy and smacked him on the back with an open hand.

Riddle said she didn’t see the smack because she was in the bedroom retrieving the backpack, but said she heard the yelling.

Apparently Joe Girot struck the child very hard because Riddle said she heard that from the bedroom as well.

Riddle said she left the bedroom with the backpack and found Bebe and Julie Girot standing in front of Joe Girot holding him back from trying to get at the boy.

She said she watched as Joe Girot shoved his wife and Julie Girot out of the way to get at the child.

Riddle said she left at that point in search of help.

When officer Campbell checked out the boy he saw a red mark and a bruise.

Bebe said she believed her husband was still at home and gave Campbell permission to gain entry.

When Campbell and deputy Chuck Welge arrived at the Girot house, they knocked but got no response.

They subsequently entered the home and found Girot passed out in bed either from drink, being tired from beating a child or a little of both.

Girot was awakened by officers who informed him that he was under arrest.

He was transported to the county detention center where he was booked on one count of Aggravated Battery of a Child and two counts of Domestic Battery.

At the time of his arrest Girot was out on bond from an August 4, 2015 case in which he was charged with the DUI.

He was released from custody Aug. 17, after a $1,000 cash bond was posted on his behalf by Matt Harrawood, of South Main St., Raleigh.

SALINE CO.— An Eldorado man who has quite possibly spent nearly as much time living in a cage as he has in the outside world and who owes the county more than $12,000 in back fines and fees has been arrested yet again.

John E. Vailes, 38, of the 2100 block of Ridge St., Eldorado, has been charged with Theft after authorities say on August 3 he knowingly exerted control over property that belonged to Phillip Brannan identified as four Michelin tires.

Vailes’ criminal history reaches all the way back to 1994 when he earned his first felony on a conviction for Battery and was sentenced to 12 months special probation.

Authorities would find out just how “special” Mr. Vailes really was in the coming years.

He earned his first stint in prison when he was convicted February 14, 1997 for Theft and sentenced to three years in a cage and ordered to pay $1,494.58 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $1,444.36.

Drugs started to play a role in Vailes’ criminal career in 2004 when he was convicted February 11, of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (prescription medication) for which he was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) for three years and ordered to pay $652 in fines and fees, of which he has paid nothing.

Back on the streets just long enough to get himself yet another felony conviction, Vailes was sentenced to IDOC for another four years after he was convicted July 20, 2006 of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine.

Again, by February 10, 2009, Vailes barely had time to get used to not being fed through a set of bars and taking showers with big hairy men when he was convicted of yet another felony. This one was Theft $300-$10,000 for which he was sent back to his cage in IDOC on a sentence of three months, six days.

He was also ordered to pay $275 in fines and fees, of which he has paid nothing.

Back on the street with the stink of prison still on him, Vailes was convicted of Knowingly Damaging Property July10, 2012 and sent back to his familiar digs (that would be IDOC) on another sentence of four years.

He was also ordered to pay $2,691 in fines and fees, of which he has paid nothing.

And not so surprisingly, at the time of his most recent arrest Vailes was serving a probation sentence of 36 months following a felony conviction for Theft $10,000-$100,000.

He was also ordered to pay $8,842.94 in fines and fees, of which he has paid nothing.

It’s safe to say the county judicial system is in the financial hole on this one.

Stolen property found in neighbor’s yard

In an unrelated story, an Eldorado woman has been charged with felony Theft after stolen items were found laying in her yard, on the 800 block of Madison St., Eldorado, by the daughter of the woman the items were stolen from.

Authorities were dispatched on a call from Christina McGhee, 45.

Officers on scene spoke with McGhee and her daughter Heather N. Hyatt, 27.

McGhee advised that both she and her daughter had reported to police that her mother’s home had been broken into on four occasions.

While officers were speaking with McGhee, Denise Nicole Murphy, 33, of the 700 block of Madison St., Eldorado, owner of the yard in which sat the stolen items, walked over and explained that she didn’t intentionally take the items and that McGhee’s mother could have them back.

Murphy even allowed McGhee to go inside her trailer and shed looking for more stolen property.

Murphy explained that it was her husband, who was not named, who was currently in prison who had been bringing the items over from the neighbor’s house.

McGhee advised that some of the items she found that belonged to her mother included family pictures, two television sets, an RCA with an estimated worth of $700 and a Sanyo with an estimated worth of $175; a DVD player estimated to be worth $100 and DVDs with an estimated value of $200; a fire safe which contained an estimated $5,000 worth of jewelry inside that was no longer there; antique dolls worth $300; glass pitchers worth $15; carnival glass bowls worth $200; blue willow plates worth $1,000; and antique lamps worth $500.

McGhee advised there were more items that belonged to her mother but that it would take another entire day to go through and find it all.

Murphy was taken into custody and transported to the county detention center where she was booked with a cash bond set at $500.

On Friday, August 21, Ameren Illinois techs were busy in midtown Harrisburg switching over regular electric meters to Smart Meters. However, Disclosure’s place in midtown had already contacted Ameren to notify them they they didn’t want a Smart Meter - operated by radio frequencies that have been shown to disrupt cilia activity in the brain - so the techs tagged their meter and moved on. Amen charges a $20 fee monthly to NOT have a Smart Meter at a location; Disclosure is disputing that charge with Ameren’s corporate board.