Wyoming News Briefs

Man who led deputies on chase with meth and fentanyl in car gets 8-10 years

GILLETTE (WNE) — A man who led sheriff’s deputies on a car chase through Gillette while his passenger threw meth and fentanyl out the window was sentenced to up to ten years in prison.

Zachary Thomas Stott, 29, was given two imposed eight- to 10-year sentences in May for possession with intent to deliver meth and fentanyl. The two sentences are to run concurrent with each other, according to court documents.

Dawn M. Merdink, 44, was in the car with Stott and accused of throwing the drugs from the car windows during the chase. She pleaded guilty April 24 to the same two felonies.

She reached a plea deal with prosecutors that was disclosed in court when she changed her plea. Her sentencing hearing before District Judge James M. “Mike” Causey is scheduled for July 19.

Sheriff’s deputies pulled over a 2021 Ford Escape driven by Stott with Merdink as a passenger on Highway 50 at about 7 a.m. Nov. 20. The registration did not match the vehicle, and Stott took off driving at speeds of up to 120 mph after deputies asked them to step out of the car, according to court documents.

Stott drove into oncoming traffic multiple times during the pursuit and almost collided with another vehicle. During the chase, Merdink was seen rummaging through the vehicle and dumping bags of drugs out of the window.

Stott eventually stopped the SUV and ran off on foot. He was caught in a nearby field and detained. Merdink was also detained at that time.

Gillette police officers and agents with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation recovered about 96 grams of meth from the spots where the drugs were thrown out the window. More meth had been mashed into the ground and was unrecoverable, according to court documents.

Numerous blue pills marked “M30,” suspected to contain fentanyl, were also recovered. More meth and pills were found in the SUV when searched.

City’s investigation of arrest by Cody police officer concludes

CODY (WNE) — The City of Cody’s internal investigation of Officer Blake Stinson’s January arrest of a 17-year-old juvenile has concluded. It found that Stinson’s affidavit and account of the incident were “corroborated” by the pedestrian involved in the incident.

But the city is still in the process of contracting with a third-party to review the city’s investigation, findings and Cody Police Department policies, according to a June 16 city of Cody press release.

The city’s investigation identified and located the pedestrian involved in the incident, the release said.

In the affidavit, Stinson alleged that the 17-year-old juvenile failed to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk near the Park County Courthouse.

That pedestrian “has corroborated the officer’s subsequent affidavit, substantiating his account of the incident,” the release said.

The release reiterated that charges against the juvenile have not been dropped due to dishonesty by Stinson but “rather for procedural reasons, so that they may be dealt with at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner.”

The teen’s mother has accused Stinson of conducting an “aggressive” arrest of her son.

Stinson remains on leave, according to the press release.

Though the internal investigation has been completed, the press release said finding a third party to review the city’s findings will “take additional time and the city will provide updates as information becomes available.”

Man sentenced to 44 months in prison for intent to deliver fentanyl and meth

GILLETTE (WNE) — A man who was arrested last year in Campbell County after 8 pounds of meth and 1,000 fentanyl pills were found in his car has been sentenced to prison.

Rondell Y. Baker, 31, of Bakersfield, California, was sentenced on June 14 to 44 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence, which included three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.

According to court documents, on March 2, 2022, Campbell County Sheriff’s Office deputies stopped Baker for speeding twice. The second time, he was pulled over for speeding 57 mph in a 45 mph zone on Highway 59.

During this second stop, a drug dog indicated on Baker’s 2020 Dodge Journey. Deputies searched the car and found a duffle bag containing two packages of methamphetamine, weighing about 7.95 pounds.

They also found 1000 suspected fentanyl pills and 2.3 grams of cocaine in a bank money bag in a floral-patterned backpack.

Baker and his passenger, Amelia R. Adams, were arrested for possession with intent to deliver.

The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation believed Baker and Adams were traveling to North Dakota from Nevada when they were pulled over.

Gordon calls proposed BLM conservation rule ‘boneheaded’

CHEYENNE (WNE) — On Thursday, Gov. Mark Gordon provided testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources regarding the Bureau of Land Management’s Conservation and Landscape Health proposed rule and in favor of a bill to withdraw that rule.

According to the BLM, the proposed Public Lands Rule, announced in late March, would provide tools for it to:

• Restore critical wildlife habitat and clean water

• Protect healthy public lands in the face of increasing drought, wildfire and climate impacts

• Ensure responsible development backed by science and data.

Making Wyoming’s case that the proposed rule oversteps the federal agency’s authority while undermining the important role that states play in developing management plans for public lands, Gordon testified: “Let me say, my administration values the relationships we have with Wyoming BLM staff, which is why it seems so boneheaded to spurn valuable, on-the-ground stakeholder knowledge and the ability to work with local partners to craft a useful way forward. Wildlife management is the responsibility and squarely within the authority and purview of the states — not the federal government.”

Following the testimony of Gordon and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, BLM Principal Deputy Director Nada Wolff Culver testified that the BLM is extending public comment for an additional 15 days.

Victim in Cheyenne strangling case dies; suspect in custody

CHEYENNE (WNE) — The female victim of an early Thursday morning strangulation was pronounced dead Saturday afternoon.

Phoenix Cerenil, 19, had been hospitalized with what the Cheyenne Police Department described as “serious injuries.”

CPD responded to a 911 hangup call at a camper in the 4700 block of Cactus Way at 12:19 a.m. Thursday. Police arrived to find Cerenil unresponsive.

Officers identified the suspect as Charles R. Karn, 19, and came to the conclusion Karn assaulted the victim as the result of an interpersonal conflict.

Karn was booked into Laramie County Jail on felony charges of aggravated assault with serious bodily injury, strangulation of a household member and domestic battery.

Representatives for the CPD said the investigation is still ongoing and that more updates on charges would be provided as they gather more information.

Barrasso praises House for passing Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act

CHEYENNE (WNE) — U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, released a statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1615, the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act, by a vote of 248-180. 

“The Biden administration is trying to regulate gas stoves and other appliances we use every day. Unless Congress stops this administration’s regulatory tsunami, Americans will lose access to the natural gas appliances they need,” said Barrasso. “Today, the House voted to block President Biden’s radical regulations. This will ensure safe, popular gas stoves remain an option for homes and businesses. The work is not over. The Senate should quickly approve our legislation to stop the Biden administration from outlawing gas stoves and other appliances American families depend on.”

Barrasso introduced S. 1043, the Natural Gas Appliance Standards (Natural GAS) Act, on March 29. 

According to a news release, the legislation would do the following:

• Require that DOE certify that any stove, water heater or furnace energy efficiency rule would not result in fuel switching from natural gas to electric appliances;

• Specify that DOE may not put forward a rule that would limit the features of gas stoves;

• Exempt small manufacturers from future energy efficiency rulemakings for stoves, water heaters, and furnaces; and,

• Require that existing energy efficiency labels displayed at the point of sale disclose full-fuel-cycle efficiency, rather than just point-of-use energy consumption.

Webinar disrupted by racist language 

CASPER (WNE) — A University of Wyoming webinar was disrupted Tuesday night after an individual used racist and vulgar language during a “Zoom bombing” incident. 

Zoom-bombing is a term used to describe an uninvited person joining a private video call. 

There have been reports around the country of educators, businesses and other formal meetings being disrupted by unwanted individuals, who sometimes say or do inappropriate things. 

“We are both angry and sad to report that a Zoom webinar for incoming UW students Tuesday night was disrupted by an individual who displayed racist and vulgar language,” the University of Wyoming sent in an email to students and faculty. Some of the language “did target a specific group,” said Chad R. Baldwin, spokesperson for UW. 

The details about what the individual said were not disclosed. 

About 230 incoming students attended the virtual meeting, which was part of a summer webinar series for new students, said Baldwin.

 “The comments were not connected with any of the content of the webinar, which was about transportation services and housing,” he said. 

Officials don’t believe the individual is a student or connected to the university in any way, said Baldwin.

“[B]ut we will do what we can to identify the individual and hold them responsible,” the university’s statement said.

The university is “not certain, at this point, what action might be possible” to hold the individual accountable, said Baldwin. 

UW plans to redouble its efforts around cybersecurity practices in an attempt to avoid similar incidents from happening again, the statement said. 

Police are also investigating the incident, said UW Police Chief Joshua Holland. 

This is not the first time that someone has disrupted a UW Zoom meeting with racism. In 2021, an unidentified person interrupted a Black history event with racist and pornographic images and slurs. 

Sheridan above 30-year average rainfall for June

SHERIDAN (WNE) — By end of day Thursday, the Sheridan area had received 3.97 inches of rainfall in the month of June.

A 30-year average for the region is 1.04 inches of rain in June, according to Todd Chambers, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) meteorologist in Billings, Montana.

“Last year at this time, we’d only seen 0.69 inches,” Chamber said.

Excessive rainfall Wednesday evening resulted in “minor flooding along Little Goose Creek, and minor street flooding in and around Sheridan and Big Horn,” according to the National Weather Service. Because of continued rainfall over and near the Bighorns, water levels were predicted to recede slowly.

“Usually, the water drops down during the day, but we’re having evening rains that bring it back up. We are having some minor, localized flooding into some yards and a little on some roadways,” Sheridan County Emergency Management Coordinator Jesse Ludikhuize said. “Our road and bridge crew has been doing a good job keeping an eye on the county roads, addressing any concerns that are on the roadways.”

Water makes it to town within hours of rain on the mountain, especially because the reservoirs are full.

From now until August, rainfall is predicted to be at or just above average levels, with similar conditions lingering into fall, Chambers said. Bigger climatic trends can impact the local weather, and right now Wyoming is transitioning from a La Niña pattern to an El Niño pattern. But the main reason for continued thunderstorms and rainfall, he said, is persistent Gulf of Mexico moisture.

Continued thunderstorms have caused soil saturation, and even moderate rain can’t soak in, he said. When rain falls on the Bighorns and runs downstream, there can be the potential for flash flooding, he said.

Hillside fire deemed human caused

JACKSON (WNE) — A hillside fire earlier this month was human caused, according to the Jackson Hole Fire Marshal.

The blaze started at 3:20 p.m. June 5 on the hillside behind Cutty’s Bar and Grill after dead overgrowth caught fire on private property. Fourteen firefighters extinguished the quarter-acre blaze within 20 minutes.

A controlled burn was reported in that area the same day, but Battalion Chief Brian Coe said that a controlled burn was not related to the fire’s cause.

Both Fire Marshal Raymond Lane and Coe declined to provide further details about how the June 5 fire started.

“We definitely encourage people to play it safe when doing anything with fire on their property,” Lane said. “Always have a water source nearby, and never leave your fires unattended.”

Lane is asking the community to participate in revising Teton County’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Jackson Hole Fire/EMS is welcoming input regarding wildfire concerns, highly valued resources, personal preparedness efforts and general community awareness.

“The plan also goes into evacuation plans,” Coe said. “All of the things we can do as a community to be prepared.”

Fire/EMS is working in collaboration with the Teton Area Wildfire Protection Coalition to help identify and recommend measures to make buildings and structures more fire resilient, Coe said, and to identify fuel reduction efforts such as overgrown forests and dead trees. 

The U.S. Forest Service leads WildfireRisk.org and has determined that Teton County has a high risk of wildfire, higher than 84% of communities in the U.S.

Boulder Roll bikers raise thousands for suicide prevention

PINEDALE (WNE) — On Saturday, 112 individuals participated in the 7th Annual Boulder Roll, raising $1,720 just in registration fees to help prevent suicide and raise awareness in Sublette County. 

With the registration money added to the proceeds from the 50/50 raffle, the Bug Splat Bet, the donation jar, an auction and the poker hand purse, the bikers raised a whopping $11,150, with 100 percent of the funds staying in Sublette County. 

The Boulder Roll poker run began in 2017, in memory of Jim “Crash” Newman, a Pinedale resident and avid motorcyclist who died by suicide in 2016. As part of their healing, Newman’s biker friends decided to honor him by doing what they all love best, heading out on the highway. 

The event aims to build camaraderie and eradicate the stigma associated with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Riders are urged to make a call to someone they haven’t spoken to in a while just to check in each time they put their motorcycle kickstands down. 

Each rider in the 2023 event received a commemorative purple bandana and a card containing information about the state’s suicide hotline, 988. 

The 2023 Annual Boulder Roll began with breakfast on June 10 at the VFW Post 4801 in Pinedale and ended at the Boulder Bar and Grill in Boulder. In between, bikers made a half dozen stops at The Place in Cora, the Green River Bar in Daniel, The Spur Bar in Big Piney, The Eagle Bar in La Barge and Waterhole #3 in Marbleton, where they each drew a card.

Each biker dropped a card at their final stop in Boulder. Participants with the best and worst poker hands won prizes at the end of the day. 

The live and silent auctions raised $6610. 

Powell man arrested again for eluding police in a chase

CODY (WNE) — The Powell man who pleaded guilty in April to trespassing and destroying property at a Powell junkyard was arrested again June 3 after he eluded police while they attempted to conduct a traffic stop on him.

Kirk A. Ohman, 31, was charged with a failure to signal a turn, driving without a valid motorcycle license and eluding police. He pleaded not guilty to all three counts during his June 5 arraignment in Park County Circuit Court.

According to the affidavit, Powell Police Sgt. Dustin Del Biaggio was traveling on East Coulter Avenue when he saw a red and black motorcycle, which he knew belonged to Ohman who was wanted on an “outstanding felony warrant.”

He pulled in behind the motorcycle, which took “an abrupt right turn” on North Gilbert Street without signaling and continued to follow Ohman, who made another right turn without signaling, the affidavit said.

Del Biaggio activated his overhead lights to conduct a traffic stop, but the motorcycle “accelerated rapidly.” 

During the chase, Del Biaggio saw what looked like a black zippered bag fly from the motorcycle driver’s backpack. A Park County Sheriff’s deputy later located the bag. It contained several syringes and a spoon, with one syringe loaded with a clear liquid, the affidavit said.

“I saw the driver turn and look directly at my vehicle and continue fleeing,” Del Biaggio said in the affidavit. “I observed my speedometer read 60 mph in a posted 25 mph zone.”

Eventually, Del Biaggio was able to approach Ohman, whose motorcycle was lying on the ground against the curb. Ohman removed his helmet, threw it to the ground and complied with Del Biaggio’s command to walk toward his patrol car, the affidavit said.

Ohman was given a $10,000 cash-only bond. Another $10,000 was added to his bond for breaking his probation. He now faces a jury trial in October.