Danny English
OLNEY – An Olney man has been charged with counts that, in light of what he was experiencing in the lead-up to them, can only be termed as “dubious.”
More than a month after Danny English, 36, had communication with his former boss that most reasonable people wouldn’t view as “threatening” in any form, said boss at an Olney manufacturing plant was nevertheless able to get prosecutors to believe he was indeed “threatened” and was able to get charges filed against English.
This might all have to do with the long-standing plague to those looking to advance themselves in southern Illinois in any way, shape or form – “connections” – as a local big name, Kapper, happens to be connected to the manufacturer, Molding Services of Illinois.
It might also have to do with the fact that nearly a decade ago, English made a bad name for himself with the local law and the courts in Richland when he was embroiled in a very public falling-out with the Earp/Trout gang, whose previous stranglehold on Richland County (2006-approximately 2015) has been chronicled in these pages and is considered a very dark mark on the county’s history.
English came away from that battle with a felony on his record, but at least he’s alive, and out and about, by comparison to the rest of the offensive Earp/Trout scum, who are either deceased, in prison or currently on some kind of parole or probation.
The battle with the Earps, however, kept English in the eye of the authorities, even after the prosecutor who favored the thug group, David Hyde, resigned in 2015.
So because that watchful eye remains, English asserts (and incidents seem to bear out) that every single time a crime occurs to him and he makes reports on it, said reports are ignored.
And this time, things went a step further when what appears to be bogus charges were filed against English after a confrontation occurred a couple of months back.
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That confrontation happened on the parking lot of Mach 1 in Olney in mid-April, when, English said, an employee of Molding Services, Robert Franks, saw him at Mach 1 and got his his face, yelling at him and chest-bumping him in public.
By that time, English had already quit at Molding Services after several snags, including the fact that he was driving a forklift for the company but they hadn’t certified him to do so (something he found out following an unemployment claim). As a result of that, he wasn’t going to get paid forklift pay, and had been told to take the matter up with Job Works, the employment agency that had placed him there.
Conversations via text ensued after he left, centering around the fact that Molding Services – represented by Barry Hughes, human resources director – wanted him to come pick up some property he’d left in a locker on the premises, which would then become their property if he didn’t get them promptly. In that locker were a set of headphones English wished to retain (they had sentimental value, as they belonged to his father), and English, working a new job in Indiana, couldn’t seem to find time to get to Molding to get them.
Having previously sent texts to owner Anthony King regarding some quality control issues he reported at the facility, English messaged King about the matter, asking King if he (English) should come out to King’s residence to talk about things, with no response.
The “response” came, said English, in the form of Franks’ alleged assault at the gas station, which was viewed by other customers and Mach 1 employees.
English didn’t make a criminal report…because other reports to police in the past have been met with utter derision and refusal to even make a report.
Instead, English began receiving texts from others at Molding Services, advising him that there were some in upper management there who were considering taking out Stalking/No-Contact Orders against him, apparently in a preemptive move in case trouble was caused over the forklift matter.
Embroiled in that mess was at least one person bearing the name of Kapper, which until recent years was a pretty big name in Richland County, including county board leadership.
In the midst of receiving these warnings, English noted that Debbie King (wife of owner Anthony King) and Aaron Garcia (with whom English had had text convos about the issues at the facility) had taken out the OPs against him.
Then, on May 21, English was charged with two misdemeanor counts, Disorderly Conduct (for driving past Molding employee Timothy Altman’s residence) and Harassment Through Electronic Communications (for sending “threatening” text messages and phone calls to Anthony King).
Disclosure is in possession of these text messages and, without asserting anything resembling a law degree, can assure the public that unless there’s been something photoshopped, none of them can in any way be considered “threats.”
Further, “driving past” a person’s house doesn’t exactly fall under the definition of “disorderly conduct,” but is likely based on the fact that while passing by said house, English was blaring his car stereo (probably obnoxiously loud, as he’s prone to do that, based on complaints in the past), but that’s not pointed out in charging documents.
Therefore, it’s a pretty good likelihood that these charges were filed for no reason other than to appease local business people with connections at their insistence, which they might be pressuring authorities so much over because there might actually be some kind of occupational violation committed within the allegations of the forklift matter…and in that case, said charges might be dismissed.
English is next in court on the misdemeanors on July 31.
He has been handed the names of a few civil rights attorneys in the Metro-East area, as there are quite a few people getting tired of the targeting going on in certain downstate counties, and several lawyers are now beginning to stand up for the people who are suffering from it.
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