CHARLES 'ETHAN' MOREHEAD
CRAWFORD CO.— A Palestine man who wasn’t any better at running from authorities than he was at being an alleged tattoo artist - or drug dealer for that matter - has been sentenced after one of the worst prosecutors in southern Illinois cut him a deal he couldn’t resist, which included dismissing drug charges in an area known to be one of them plagued with drug dealers.
According to court records, 2016 DUI-drugs driver, Charles Ethan Morehead, 28, who is called simply Ethan by his friend, was arrested on or about April 12, 2018, with Bethany D. Kiser, 24, both of South Main St., Palestine, and accused of committed the offense of Unlawful Possession of Cannabis with Intent to Deliver 30-500 grams of cannabis.
They were both also charged with one count each of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine after authorities say they found the pair at their residence with 15-100 grams of meth.
Additionally both were charged with a single count of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, identified as 75 tablets of clonazepam.
BETHANY KISER
Morehead was also charged with a single count of Armed Violence, alleging that at the time he was committing the meth and cannabis crimes, he was armed with a 9mm handgun.
The above mentioned acts of alleged criminality, along with a handful of traffic tickets, set the stage for a June 22 escape from the county courthouse.
Morehead appeared in court that date, accompanied by his mother on the drug charges.
At that time he was informed by the judge in the case that he had failed to appear for a court appearance the day prior (June 21) to address those handful of traffic citations.
The judge then advised Morehead that for his failure to appear on the traffic tickets, along with a recent urinalysis, for which he tested positive for methamphetamine, his bond was being revoked and he was going to be placed in the county jail.
Witnesses inside the courtroom reported that Morehead looked at his mommy with bug-eyes and mouth agape and bolted from the courtroom.
Ethan is said to have sprinted down two flights of stairs, past a security guard in the basement entrance/exit (reportedly body-slamming and injuring the officer) and out the breezeway.
Those familiar with Morehead later said that was probably the closest thing to a day’s work he had ever done in is life.
Bystanders delayed Morehead long enough for authorities arrive and lead him to that county cage the judge had mentioned moments before on charges of Escape of a Felon and Aggravated Battery of a Peace Officer.
MATTHEW 'Let's Make a Deal' HARTRICH
On September 20 state’s attorney ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ Matthew Hartrich, who is rumored not to be able to convict a drug dealer if the dude walked into the courtroom and offered a dime bag to the judge, did his thing, which has kept taxpayers at risk for six years.
Not to tax his prosecutorial abilities, Hartrich combined the two felony cases and agreed to dismiss charges of Escape, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, Manufacture/ Delivery of Cannabis (also known as drug dealing), Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine 15-100 grams and Armed Violence in return for Morehead agreeing to plead guilty to less serious charges of Aggravated Battery of a Peace Officer, Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
Morehead was ultimately sentenced to three years in prison on the battery charge and five years on the gun charge.
He was also ordered to pay $4,914.50 in fines and fees, of which he has paid nothing.
As far as his alleged drug cohort, Ms. Bethany Kiser... 'Let's Make a Deal' Matthew is still thinking that one over. Her felony case is still pending.