Wyoming News Briefs

Gillette woman’s prison sentence commuted

GILLETTE (WNE) — The prison sentence of a Gillette woman convicted of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a homeowners association in the early 2000s has been reduced to time served, making her eligible for release.

Julie A. Jacobsen, 70, had her sentence commuted April 5 and was transferred to the Scotts Bluff County Detention Center in Nebraska after serving just more than 12 years in the Wyoming Women’s Center in Lusk.

In 2011, Jacobsen was sentenced in Campbell County District Court to up to 60 years in prison for 10 felony counts of embezzlement and forgery. She was further ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution to the Fox Park Homeowners Association, for which she had been a bookkeeper.

Gov. Mark Gordon agreed with a parole board recommendation to change Jacobsen’s six sentences of six to ten years from consecutive to concurrent. 

That effectively cut her overall sentence from 36 to 60 years down to six to 10 years.

This week, Jacobsen requested compassionate release for separate federal prison time she has remaining.

She was sentenced in 2006 to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release for falsifying her federal income tax return in 2002, in which she claimed no taxable income despite more $108,000 in income being found, according to court documents.

She was also ordered to pay almost $167,000 in restitution to the IRS.

At the time of her District Court trial, prosecutors said Jacobsen, formerly by the name of Deliramich, used Fox Park accounts to funnel thousands of dollars to herself and her husband and daughter. She had obtained unauthorized loans by forging signatures of those who served on the HOA board of directors.

Officer put on leave until investigation completed

CODY (WNE) — Cody Police Officer Blake Stinson has been put on paid administrative leave, pending the investigation into his conduct during an arrest of a 17-year-old juvenile in January.

“An officer of the City of Cody Police Department has been placed on paid administrative leave following the receipt of the formal complaint from a member of the public and review of available material supporting the complaint,” a Cody Police Department press release said. “This necessary step has been taken while the internal investigation is on-going and finalized regarding the matter.”

A YouTube video produced by the LackLuster channel that compiled Stinson’s body camera and dash camera footage was published May 21. It called into question Stinson’s conduct during the arrest.

According to the press release, the City of Cody and CPD will provide updates on the progress and findings of the internal investigation “as appropriate and within the bounds of confidentiality requirements per Wyoming statute.”

“The City of Cody and the Cody Police Department acknowledges its commitment to maintaining transparency, accountability and the highest standards of public trust in law enforcement,” the release said. “We remain steadfast in our dedication to serving our community with professionalism, integrity and the highest standards of public service.”

“The City of Cody thanks its residents for their continued support, cooperation and trust,” the release continued. 

Any resident wishing to provide comments or information pertinent to the investigation can call (307) 527-8709 or email [email protected].

LARAMIE WYO 130 through the Snowy Range reopens for the season

CHEYENNE (WNE) — The seasonally closed section of Wyoming Highway 130 through the Snowy Range has officially reopened for the summer.

Crews from Laramie and Saratoga, with some assistance from Arlington and Cheyenne crews, started work on the 12-mile stretch of the scenic byway in early May with a target reopening date of Memorial Day weekend. Rotary plows, snowcats and other heavy equipment was used to clear drifts of snow as tall as 15 feet.

Although the highway is now open to traffic, motorists — including bicyclists and motorcyclists — should stay alert as they travel through the mountain pass.

Severe weather is still possible at higher elevations in late spring, including heavy, wet, intense snowstorms. Check road conditions before you travel at wyoroad.info or on the Wyoming 511 mobile app.

The highway is one of several high-elevation mountain roads in Wyoming that closes annually in late autumn when relatively low traffic and deep snow accumulations render plowing operations impractical.

The scenic byway, which tops out at 10,800 feet in the Snowy Range, closed for the winter season Nov. 10.

Fort Bridger man pleads guilty to child porn charge

EVANSTON (WNE) — Fort Bridger resident Tyelure Schroeder pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography possession on Tuesday, May 23, before the U.S. District Court in Cheyenne. 

According to the sworn affidavit of Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Ryan Hieb, a cybertip linked to Schroeder was received on Aug. 9, 2022, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). 

An account allegedly associated with Schroeder had uploaded 42 files depicting the sexual exploitation of children. An automated categorization based on NCMEC’s review identified 34 images as “apparent child pornography,” six images as “child pornography (unconfirmed)” and two as “unclothed children.” 

Hieb reviewed the 14 files which had been previously reviewed by the service provider and determined that the files depicted early pubescent and prepubescent females. 

When interrogated in 2014, Schroeder claimed he had first discovered child pornography by mistake, while searching for “younger looking girls” on the internet. He said he would search for it intentionally while inebriated. 

He was sentenced in March 2015 for possession of child pornography in Wyoming. He received 24 months in prison before five years of supervised release. 

On Sept. 27, 2022, Hieb received a search warrant for evidence related to child exploitation within Schroeder’s Gmail account, having learned that Google submitted the tip on June 24. 

Hieb’s affidavit reads, “The account contained 31 image files constituting child pornography. Sixteen of those files depicted infants/toddlers.” 

The recent federal indictment lists two counts of possession, one of which will be dropped in accordance with the plea deal. 

Schroeder will face up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, supervised release lasting between five years and life, and $22,100 in special assessments. 

His sentencing is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 11, in Cheyenne.

Sheriffs’ MOU allows officers to cross county lines

TORRINGTON (WNE) — Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak and Goshen County Sheriff Kory Fleenor have signed a Memorandum of Understanding between their two departments that permits deputy officers to cross county lines while on duty. 

The MOU was signed into agreement between the two sheriffs, along with the signed approval of county commissioners, roughly three weeks ago. 

Kozak said the agreement will make the everyday responsibilities of officers from both counties far more easy and manageable. It will also allow situations to be handled much safer, as there will be a far better effort in teamwork according to Kozak.

“Basically, under state law there’s some limitations for officers. They can’t leave their jurisdiction unless they’re in hot pursuit. One of the things that I thought is that I didn’t want to second guess where our officers are at, especially on the border of the two counties.

There are some roads going in and out of the other counties that can get kind of into the communities. I didn’t want deputies to be worried about that.” 

Kozak said it comes down mostly to teamwork. 

“In Cheyenne, some of the people have said it’s great to see that our sheriff’s office is working with the departments in the surrounding counties,” he said, adding that agreements have already been made with Albany and Platte counties as well.

“In fact, today I’m working with Chief Brown of the Laramie Police Department,” Kozak said. “We’ve been talking about sharing resources, especially during football season when it gets very busy for them, and they send some deputies to Frontier Days just to help us.”

Fleenor had no comment on the MOU.

Highest honor: Gatchell Museum wins national medal for museum service

BUFFALO (WNE) — On Monday, May 8, the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum received a call from Washington. The call from Crosby Kemper, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, was to notify the staff of the Buffalo museum that it had won the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest museum honor.

Only four museums nationwide receive this award from a pool of hundreds of applicants.

Museum director Sylvia Bruner said she was shocked by the news, but when it came to writing the application – which focused on the museum’s involvement and contributions to the local community – she knew they had a shot.

Since Bruner assumed the director’s role in 2016, the museum has focused on being a hub for community events, bringing in speakers such as Sam Mihara, a survivor of the Heart Mountain, Wyoming, internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War Two, and John Griffin, a member of the Black 14, who were kicked off the University of Wyoming football team in 1969 after protesting for racial equity. Hundreds of people attended both events, hosted at Buffalo High School.

“Jim Gatchell has used their collection, their history and the history of Johnson County to bring the community itself alive to the importance of history, education and the community’s part in both,” Kemper said in a press release.

Museum staff and a community member will be flown to the nation’s capital in July for an awards ceremony at the White House. The award also comes with a $10,000 unrestricted grant.

The IMLS has awarded the national medal since 1994. Only two other institutions in Wyoming have ever been recipients: the Urie Elementary School Library in Lyman in 2000 and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody in 2008.

Wyoming Stable Token Commission seeks public input

CHEYENNE (WNE) — Created with the passage of the Wyoming Stable Token Act, the Wyoming Stable Token Commission has begun the process of generating the Wyoming Stable Token, a virtual currency.

The state has embarked on an ambitious schedule to consider and possibly issue a digital token, or “stable token,” by year’s end. Accordingly, Wyoming is anxious to build a competent platform and policies in short order, according to a news release.

The commission is seeking input from the public as it develops policies to ensure the state remains a leader in digital assets.Those interested in being considered for one of the subject matter expert positions on the commission may provide an expression of interest at tinyurl. com/32bwxy7x.

As requested by the commissioners, anyone wishing to provide their thoughts, ideas and concerns on how the process to develop the stable token should be established; how the stable token should be structured; or any other challenges or issues to note, may do so at tinyurl. com/mujua2u2.

The Stable Token Commission will hold its next meeting at 1:30 p.m. June 6 in the Wyoming State Capitol Extension in Cheyenne.

Man drives for miles on wrong side of interstate

GILLETTE (WNE) — A 22-year-old man was arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol at about 5:20 a.m. Wednesday after multiple people reported him driving for miles on the wrong side of the interstate.

He was called in on the interstate near Rozet and a Sheriff’s deputy found and stopped the man on Interstate 90 near mile marker 132, near Wyodak. He had been driving west in the eastbound lanes of I-90 and four separate people called him in, said Undersheriff Quentin Reynolds.

When contacted, there were alcohol containers in the truck and the 22-year-old driver admitted to drinking. He said he didn’t remember how he got onto the wrong side of the interstate or why he stayed on the interstate so long.

He performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was arrested, Reynolds said.

Hageman votes to overturn heavy-duty truck rule

CHEYENNE (WNE) — U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman voted Tuesday to prevent more costly and punitive regulations on the production of heavy-duty vehicles. S.J. Res. 11 would rescind the Biden administration’s heavy-duty truck rule.

Hageman stated in a news release: “The Biden administration has again attempted to replace congressional lawmaking authority with ‘rules and guidance’ from agency bureaucrats. This latest attempt mandates far more strict vehicle pollution standards for heavy-duty vehicle manufacturing.

“The increased costs of producing heavy duty vehicles, which by the Environmental Protection Agency’s estimate would be $8,300 per truck, will not only drive up costs of the production, but also the costs of goods that we all consume. These regulations on trucking will only further damage supply chains, fuel inflation and hurt the people I represent — those who put fuel in our cars, roofs over our heads, food on tables, and pave our highways.”