State Briefs

MMA fighter sentenced to prison in assault

GILLETTE (WNE) — An MMA fighter who knocked a woman unconscious and then continued to punch her while she was on the ground will spend up to six years in prison.

Cody W. Amman, 29, of Gillette was sentenced to 2.5 to six years in prison for aggravated assault.

He also must pay $1860 in fines and $1565 in restitution to the Division of Victim Services.

Amman had earlier pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. He allegedly attacked the woman at about 9:45 p.m. May 28 because earlier that evening she had confronted him about neglecting his responsibilities to his girlfriend.

He had become angry and upset.

Witnesses said he “blindsided” the woman as she walked to her truck at Eagles Nest Circle. He then pushed her to the ground, climbed on top of her and hit her multiple times, according to court documents. Two women who were outside smoking witnessed the attack and told officers that they saw Amman come “out of nowhere,” push the woman, climb on top of her and start punching.

They also said the woman “went limp” after Amman’s first blow and appeared unconscious. One screamed at a man nearby to pull Amman off the woman, which he did.

The woman reported remembering Amman hitting her once and said she remembers waking up while her friend was cleaning a large open cut on her forehead, which was gushing so much blood that she had trouble opening her eyes.

Amman was a mixed martial artist who had fights that were scheduled to happen in the weeks following the attack.

Sex offender who escaped from Casper facility captured

CASPER (WNE) — Fremont County authorities arrested a convicted sex offender whom Natrona County authorities say walked away from a Casper rehabilitative facility last week.

Lander police say they caught up with Cody M. Schlosser, 26, on two outstanding warrants on Thursday afternoon in a Lander trailer. Fremont County sheriff’s deputies assisted with the arrest, according to a statement provided by the Lander Police Department.

Schlosser was being held in Casper Re-Entry Center as part of a sentence for 2010 convictions of sexual assault and kidnapping, according to a Natrona County sheriff’s spokesman.

Authorities began looking for Schlosser on Jan. 3 when he failed to return from work.

The Casper Re-Entry Center is a privately-owned facility that provides rehabilitation and substance abuse treatment to inmates before they are released. The center, which is owned by the Geo Group, operates under a contract with the Wyoming Department of Corrections.

The Wyoming Board of Parole describes the Casper Re-Entry Center and other similar facilities as providing an “alternative to incarceration or traditional probation/parole supervision.” Certain residents of the facility are required to hold off-site jobs and pay rent as part of their rehabilitation, according to the parole board.

At least a dozen people have escaped from the facility each of the past three years, although those escapes typically occur when inmates do not return from work.

On Friday, Georgia authorities arrested a different man who is suspected of climbing a wall and escaping from a highersecurity portion of the facility.

Yellowstone expands services despite shutdown

CODY (WNE) — As the partial U.S. government shutdown lurched into its third week, Yellowstone National Park officials announced they are expanding services for the public.

Park Service staff was scheduled to begin picking up trash again Sunday, cleaning bathrooms and placing personnel at most gates, including the East Entrance from Cody.

However, those workers will not collect the standard entry fees.

Workers will remove snow at Canyon overlooks to offer better views and improved safety.

These noticeable upgrades will be funded by the Park’s recreation fees, deputy director P. Daniel Smith announced.

During the ongoing shutdown, which began Dec. 22, volunteers donated time and Xanterra, the major Park concessionaire, aided with funding for snow clearing.

The Park has limited access during the winter.

The road from Gardiner, Mont. at the North Entrance, to Mammoth Springs, to the Northeast Entrance at Cooke City is open.

Snowmobile trips have continued.