WILLIAMSON CO., Ill. - Williamson County, get ready...we've got a DOOZY of a Felony Friday to bring you this week, so let's get started!
Here’s an incident where the circumstances surrounding the arrest get pretty interesting. These officers see and hear it all as with this next case involving the Marion Police Department Narcotics Unit (MPDNU).
One of the MPDNU officers on patrol noticed a vehicle he was familiar with that had been involved with a previous meth delivery charge. When he ran the plates he found the owner, 48-year-old Laurie Yates of Cobden, had expired registration. The officer pulls her over and tells her he detained her due to the expired registration and asks her for her driver's license and proof of insurance. She hands him a temporary paper I.D. and tells him her license had expired and she has no insurance. Yates' female passenger didn’t have a driver's license either. In these cases the vehicle must be towed and the officer's protocol is to search it beforehand and ask if there were any illegal items in the vehicle. Yates told him no, then the female passenger told him there was a meth pipe belonging to Yates and she had placed it on the front passenger floorboard.
The kind officer let the two females sit in the back of the squad car during the search since it was very cold that particular afternoon.
Another MPDNU officer arrived to assist. The original officer noted a black cigarette case in the front passenger floorboard next to a purse Yates had pulled the I.D from. Inside the case were three designer plastic bags containing 2.0 grams of suspected crystal meth, one digital scale, one empty designer bag and a glass smoking pipe. Returning to the squad car to relay to the women what he had found, Yates' female passenger told the officer that the pipe she had mentioned before was now wedged in the seat of the squad car by Yates. Yates admitted she was an occasional meth user and had never seen the cigarette case before and only admitted to the discarded pipe her passenger reported that was in the squad car. The officer said "You mean if I run prints on this case, yours won’t be on it?"
Finally she admitted they would, but she was only taking credit for half the weight and the other half belonged to her passenger. The passenger denied any involvement with the case. Then Yates concocted a story that they had purchased the meth the day before and they were planning to sell it “but not here.”
The officer asked Yates if her passenger's prints would be one the bag and she told him no because she repackaged it but she knew it was there. Bottom line: she was mad because her passenger had told on her about the pipe.
Yates was transported to the Williamson County Jail and charged with one count each of Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She is free on a $5,000 recognizance bond.
And now, for the rest of the felonies filed....
Damien A. Jornlin, 27 of Marion, has been charged with one count Possession of Methamphetamine less 5 grams.
Whitney L. Veach, 31 of Zeigler, is charged with one count Possession of Methamphetamine less than 5 grams and a misdemeanor charge of of Resisting Arrest
Katherine T. Hermann, 27 of Johnston City, is charged with one count Possession pf Methamphetamine less than 5 grams.
Clarence J. Smith, 27 of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, is charged with one count Criminal Sexual Assault With Force.
Leander West, 31 of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, is charged with one count Aggravated Domestic Battery/Strangle. West was receiving oral pleasure from his girlfriend in a local motel. Clarence Smith listed above was sleeping in the next bed. Smith got out of bed and sat in a chair and began to penetrate the woman. She repeatedly asked him to stop and was hitting West while he held the woman down by placing his hand on the back of her head. Finally Smith stopped and left the room. West became angry because the woman would not submit to Smith. West got up from the bed and went to the bathroom and the woman began talking to West about her having herpes. This made him even angrier and he threw her to the ground, strangling and kicking her. According the court records she lost her breath approximately three times and thought she was going to pass out due to her airways being constricted. Both subjects were arrested and transported to the Williamson County Jail. The victim was transported to the hospital and later to a safe environment. A female detective from Marion Police Department came and collected the Sexual Assault Kit.
Dusty W. Smith, 37 of West Frankfort, is charged with one count count Aggravated Battery/Use of a Deadly Weapon.
James B. Gurley, 37 of Herrin, is charged with Aggravated Discharge of Firearm/Occupied Building
Joshua L. Mueller, 38 of Herrin, has been charged with Possession of Methamphetamine less than 5 grams.
Jessica M. Huff, 37, is charged with one count Bad Check/Gain Control Property over $150.
Cody W. Dempster, 22 of Chester, has been charged with Criminal Trespass to Residence/Person Present.
Wesley Miller, 31 of Royalton, is charged with Possession of Methamphetamine less than 5 grams and Possession of Controlled Substance Except (A)/(D).
Anthony C. Thompson, 41 of Carbondale, is charged with Theft/Stolen Intent between $500 and $10,000.
Joshua L. Mueller, 38 of Herrin, is charged with Theft/ Stolen/Intent between $500 and $10,000.
Felony Dispositions
Randall L. Stanton Jr., 40 of Buckner, plead guilty to one count of Forgery. He received 30 months conditional discharge, restitution, fines and 48 days in jail with credit for time served.
Jackie G. Miller, 57 of Herrin, plead not guilty to Driving On Revoked/ Suspended DUI/SSS 10-14; Dismiss/State Motion
Jimmie D. Walker, 53 of Marion, plead not guilty to Violating Sex Offender Registry. Dismissed/State Motion
Mathew L. Gillum, 46 of Marion, plead not guilty to Domestic Battery/With Priors. Dismissed Nolle Prosequi.
Noel Richard Smith, 23 of Marion, plead not guilty to 2 counts of Burglary. In 2016 he was placed in the Offender Initiative Program
Upon completion his case is now dismissed.
James Eastwood, 46, plead guilty to Aggravated Domestic Battery Case terminated/ Satisfied. He plead not guilty to Domestic Battery/priors
Dismissed/State Motion.
Travis J. Taylor, 38 of Marion, plead not guilty to to 2 counts Aggravated Battery/Public Place. Case dismissed/State Motion
Jevon M. Elliott, 42 of Murphysboro, plead not guilty to Threatening Public Official. Dismissed/State's Motion. He plead guilty to Resisting a Police Officer and received 24 months probation, 22 days in jail with credit for time served, fines, medical/ mental treatment. Terminate/Unsatisfied; he plead not guilty to Class C misdemeanor Disorderly Conduct. Dismissed/State Motion.
Amos M. Nelson, 38 of Marion, plead not guilty in 2015 to Possession of Controlled Substance Except (A)/(D); he was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months in D O C and176 days in jail with credit for time served
Dismissed. He plead not guilty to Possession of Cannabis 2.5 to grams; he was found guilty and received costs only. Dismissed/Court Action