Posted by Travis Uresk | Oct. 7th, 2022 | Drugs | Fugitive | By Travis Uresk 10/7/22 Vernal, Ut.- On 9/28/22, Agent Simper and Agent Conley were looking for fugitive William Iron Eagle Naseyouma, who was hiding from parole. The Agents had information that William was currently staying at the Quail Hollow Apartments at 650 W 100 S in Vernal, Utah. The Agents knocked on the door at 8:46 pm; a female answered the door. Agent Conley asked if William was there. She closed the door. Shortly after, another female opened the door and invited Agents inside to look for William. The Agents found out William jumped off the back balcony of the northwest bedroom and ran on foot from the apartment. AP&P Agents called dispatch and said William had ran north and was wearing blue jeans, a white shirt, and a black jacket. Multiple units responded to the area where William had run. Sgt Watkins deployed his K9 to help with the search. Deputy Ogle got on the radio and told Officers that a male matching William's description was running north across the highway toward Ace Hardware. Officers pursued William on foot and by vehicle with their lights and sirens activated. Agent Cannon called out to William over his intercom to stop. Once taken to the ground, William stopped resisting and was placed into handcuffs. According to the affidavit. William was transported back to the Quail Hollow Apartments, where Agent Simper advised William of his Miranda rights. William admitted to running from the Police because he had a board of pardon warrants. William confirmed his street name is "Little Shadow." Agent Cannon asked William about the bedroom that said "SHADOW" on the door. William said, "that was his older brother's room," and denied owning anything in the bedroom. William did admit to using methamphetamine the day before. William was then transported to the Uintah County Jail by Trooper Searle. While Agent Conley was searching the apartment, he found a glass meth pipe in plain sight on the nightstand in the bedroom with "SHADOW" on the door. Agent Ercanbrack with AP&P had control of the apartment and had the three females sitting on the front porch. While speaking with the females, they had only been staying at the apartment since the day before. The apartment owner was in Myton, Ut. visiting her grandchildren. One of the females said they were homeless, and the owner of the apartment let them stay there, and they had no belongings in the apartment. The same female said, "the northwest bedroom is where William has been staying and ran from the bedroom and jumped off the balcony when the Agents first knocked on the door." Two females had two warrants each, and both had no bail warrants. They were taken into custody and transported to the Uintah County Jail. One female said she was just released from jail that day and provided a copy of the release paperwork. Agent Cannon asked her if she had any bags inside the apartment as it was being secured for a search warrant. She told Agent Cannon she had a plastic bag with all her belongings from when she was released from jail and gave the Agent consent to search the bag. No contraband was found, and she was released and free to go. The apartment was secured due to the drug paraphernalia found in plain sight. Agent Cannon photographed the home before searching; as items were located, they were photographed in place, documented, and placed in evidence bags. The bedroom where William was staying had IRS paperwork with his name, a meth bong, a digital scale with methamphetamine residue, and a red iPhone on the nightstand. A P22 Walther .22 pistol with two loaded magazines, 20 rounds total, was found between the mattress and box springs of the bed. Miscellaneous meth and marijuana pipes were found in a box on the shelf. A safe was found in the closet, which needed a code to unlock it. A call was made to the jail to get the code from William, to which he refused. Officers used a pry bar to open the safe. Inside the safe was a plastic pen melted or tooter with a black substance (suspected to be heroin), a plastic bag containing numerous small blue and red baggies, a plastic bag with marijuana flower, a glass pipe, a dab rig with stem, scale weights, a red straw with suspected methamphetamine residue, numerous clear baggies, and a black pouch with more red and blue bags and four individual red bags containing suspected methamphetamine varying in weight of 1.4 gm, 1.9 gm, and 2.5 gm totaling 7.7 grams. According to the affidavit. In a review of William Naeyouma's criminal history, he is a convicted felon who has hidden from parole, making him a category one restricted person. Also observed was one conviction of possession of a controlled substance schedule I/II and two counts of possession of marijuana. Due to the firearm, magazines, and ammunition, he was charged with possessing a firearm by a felon (felony 2). Due to a hunting knife in the room, William was charged with possessing a dangerous weapon (felony 3). Due to the digital scale with residue, scale weights, multiple baggies, and individually packaged bags of suspected methamphetamine, William was charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (felony 2). Due to the two convictions of marijuana, William was charged with possession of marijuana (misdemeanor A). Due to a large amount of drug paraphernalia intended for distribution, William was charged with manufacturing/delivering drug paraphernalia. Due to William fleeing from the police officer on foot with sirens activated, he was charged with failure to stop at the command of a police officer. William was booked into the Uintah County Jail on his board of pardons warrant.

Posted by Travis Uresk | Oct. 2nd, 2022 | Domestic Violence | By Travis Uresk 10/2/22 Vernal, Ut.- On September 18, 2022, Det. Collom was notified of a 13-year-old juvenile being abused at home by Jeremiah Solomon Espinoza. The 13-year-old said, "her dad would grab her by the throat and threatened to slice and dice her sister, and her brother would get beaten regularly." At the CJC, the victim was interviewed and told Detectives she was accused of listening to the adult's conversations by Jeremiah. The 13-year-old said, "Jeremiah reached up and put one hand around her throat so tight she had to hold her breath and couldn't breathe". The victim said he would do it so hard that she couldn't talk or swallow when he did this. The little girl didn't know if Jeremiah would punch her or what would happen next. According to the affidavit. The victim made it clear this happened on more than one occasion, and Jeremiah also would push her to the floor with a lot of force. The victim told Detectives that they had to keep what Jeremiah does a secret because the adults didn't want the Police or any officials involved. Later, the Detectives spoke to the victim's Mother, and she too was afraid of what Jeremiah might do to them if they told Law Enforcement. The victim's Mother said she had seen Jeremiah grab her daughter with both hands around her neck, then look at her in a way that was asking her Mother for help. The Mother was put in contact with the Victim's Advocate and Safety plan, and a protective order was filed and granted against Jeremiah Espinoza. Jeremiah was arrested and interviewed after being informed of his rights per Miranda. Jeremiah denied using any physical abuse towards the victim or the other kids. He did confirm having taught the kids and both their Mothers about grabbing someone by the throat. This move was called the "Ranger choke hold." Jeremiah stated this was a finishing move and likened it to the use of deadly force. Jeremiah maintained he was a pacifist and would not physically abuse anybody. Jeremiah's statement changed several times throughout the interview. Jeremiah blamed the other two kids' Mothers for physically abusing them. Jeremiah admitted the kids were out of control but claimed he ignored it and walk away when they were acting that way. Other detectives met with the Mother of the other children and recovered evidence from her apartment that corroborated her kids' statements. This included blood stains on the wall, and a broken wooden paddle used to spank the kids. The corroborations of these kids' accounts added further credibility to the reports. According to the affidavit. Jeremiah was then taken to the Uintah County Jail. He was booked on one count of Aggravated Child Abuse as a Second Degree Felony. This is due to Jeremiah grabbing the victim by the throat with such force that it impeded her breathing ability. This act constitutes an act of severe physical injury. Due to Jeremiah having a name for this move and knowing it is equivalent to lethal force and using it often, he did this act intentionally and knowingly. On September 20, 2022, the affiant Detective Sergeant Mike Tribe interviewed the Mother about an ongoing child abuse investigation involving her children and her live-in boyfriend, Jeremiah Espinoza. During this interview, the Mother told the affiant about Jeremiah being served with a protective order on September 19, 2022, related to an ongoing child abuse investigation. The Mother stated Jeremiah was distraught after being served and described being grabbed by the front of the throat by Jeremiah using his thumb and the first two fingers of his right hand. Josephine told the affiant she couldn't breathe and described Jeremiah grabbing and holding her throat for a few seconds before letting go. The Mother told the affiant after this, Jeremiah jammed his finger into the side of her neck just under her jaw, leaving a mark. The affiant observed a two-inch abrasion under the Mother's left jawline. The Mother indicated the abrasion is from Jeremiah jamming his finger into her neck. The Mother stated this was very painful and called the neck grab a "Ranger choke hold," which was reportedly a move learned by Jeremiah during his military service. The Mother told the Detective she'd known Jeremiah for approximately five years. During this time, they engaged in a consensual relationship. On September 20, 2022, Jeremiah Espinoza was contacted and arrested for other Vernal Police investigations (Child Abuse) related explicitly to Jeremiah's "Ranger choke hold." During a post-Miranda warning interview, Jeremiah admitted to putting his hand around his girlfriend's neck during sexual intercourse, not during a domestic dispute. Jeremiah admitted to knowledge of the "Ranger choke hold," referring to this as a lethal tactic. However, Jeremiah denied doing the hold on his girlfriend and denied jamming his finger into her jaw area. Jeremiah also denied being upset over being served with a protective order. According to the affidavit. Based on the physical evidence observed on his girlfriend's neck, the affiant believes there is probable cause that Jeremiah committed the crime(s) of aggravated assault (DV) 76-5-103 (F3) (iii) any act that impedes the breathing or the circulation of blood of another individual by the actor's use of unlawful force or violence that is likely to produce a loss of consciousness by: (A) applying pressure to the neck or throat of an individual. (B) obstructing the nose, mouth, or airway of an individual.

Posted by Travis Uresk | Sept. 29th, 2022 | Stolen Property/ Sex Offender | Vernal, Ut. | By Travis Uresk 9/29/22 Vernal, Ut- On 9/9/22, Det. Gardenheir booked Lee Oliver Larsen for receiving stolen property on 8/13/22. On 8/13/22, an individual purchased a trailer from Lee Larsen. During a records check, it was found the trailer had been stolen in 2020. Det. Gardenheir spoke to Lee's roommate, and she said he knew the trailer was stolen when he sold it on 8/13/22. On 9/9/22, Det. Gardenheir spoke with Lee at the Uintah County Jail, and Lee said: "he bought the trailer between June and August of 2020." Lee said, "he estimated the value of the trailer around $2,000." According to Lee, the guy he bought it from seemed to be high on dope. Larsen said, "the guy needed money and was asking too low of a price." Lee said he even asked the guy if the trailer was stolen because it didn't have a title. According to the affidavit. Lee thought the deal was too good to be true, and the guy was a little shady. But he still went ahead and bought the trailer anyway. Lee told the person he sold the trailer to, "it might be stolen." Lee insisted to the detective he didn't know whether the trailer was stolen or not. Larsen sold the 2019 Diamond C flatbed trailer for $800. According to the affidavit. On 9/12/22, Det. Gardenheir arrested Lee Larsen again for two counts of failure to register as a sex offender. Lee is required to register on the Utah kidnap and sex offender registry for a felony offense. Every Six (6) Months Within THREE (3) WORKING DAYS of ANY change in HABITATION (residence) Within THREE (3) WORKING DAYS of ANY change in VEHICLE information Within THREE (3) WORKING DAYS of ANY change in EDUCATIONAL AFFILIATION information Within THREE (3) WORKING DAYS of ANY change in place of EMPLOYMENT or carries on a vocation. An offender shall provide the department or the registering agency with the following: All names and aliases, the addresses of primary and secondary residences, offenders physical description, vehicle information, current photograph of the offender, fingerprints, DNA, all telephone information, name, and internet addresses of all websites the offender is registered using an online identifier, including all online identities used to access those websites (any electronic mail, chat, instant messenger, social networking or similar name used for internet communications except for identifiers used for the offender's employment, financial accounts, including any bank, retirement, or investment accounts) copy of passports and immigration status, all professional licenses, all Utah educational institution affiliations, employment information, all volunteer information and affiliations, and social security number. On 9/9/2022, I spoke with Lee about the stole trailer in case W22-1926 at the Uintah County Jail. While talking with Lee, he told me he had been staying in the Sandy area for two weeks. He had been staying with friends and was living in his car. While Lee was in the Salt Lake area, he did not register his address. The Utah Kidnap and Sex Offender registry shows Lee's address is in Vernal, Ut., as of 8/1/2022. The registry also shows Lee's current work as Frank's International as of 3/21/2022. I contacted Frank's and was advised Lee has not worked at Frank's International since 8/26/2022, which was his official termination date. Lee was booked on two counts of failure to register as a sex offender, a third-degree felony due to Lee being on the registry for a felony offense.

Posted by Travis Uresk | Sept. 28th, 2022 | Vernal, Ut. | By Travis Uresk 9/28/22 Vernal, Ut.- On 9/16/22, Adolfo Samayoa went into Plaza Mexicana looking for the employee that had called the police on him for being at a gas station buying beer and kicking cars in the parking lot. Witnesses said Adolfo came into the restaurant looking for the employee that had called the police so that he could kill him for the incident a few nights before. While at the restaurant, he asked for his paycheck, and an employee told Adolfo she didn't have his check. Adolfo got angry and started to clench his fists. The employee asked Adolfo to leave but walked back inside the restaurant, scaring the employee. While at Plaza Mexicana, Adolfo called Central Dispatch and questioned them about laws and that he needed an Officer to contact him right now and might have an emergency soon, but he refused to explain what he meant to dispatch. Adolfo called dispatch once more and asked: "if he had to kill someone to get an Officer to contact him." He also called Vernal City Police Dept. and told them "he was going crazy and what would happen to him if he committed a crime?" Officer White met with Adolfo behind Plaza Mexicana to ask him what had happened. He replied, "I am having a war with the employees at the restaurant." He told Officer White multiple times, "he just wanted his check, and that was it, and he came in peace." Officer White asked him about the threats of violence and if he had been drinking in the last 24 hours. He denied saying any of those things; he had not been drinking, and that was a lot of hours to remember. Adolfo was willing to submit a breath sample and tested positive for alcohol. (.259 BrAC) Officer White then informed Adolfo he was under arrest and placed him in handcuffs. During the search, the Officer observed something inside his right front pocket. Officer White asked what it was, and Adolfo said, "it's a gun." The object turned out to be a wallet. While handcuffed, Adolfo lunged toward the Officer, shoved him with his upper body, and called him a "fucker." Other Officers grabbed Adolfo and escorted him to a patrol car. Adolfo kept lunging toward Officer White multiple times and became uncooperative. The decision was made to place him on the ground for the safety of everyone involved, and an ambulance was called. Adolfo began to laugh very loudly and started to yell profanities. Officers told him to stop yelling, and he replied, "fuck you, I'm going to jail for life, homie." He then kicked Officer White and yelled, "you think I'm fucking scared to fucking hurt you mother fucker!" Because Adolfo was physically uncooperative, he was placed in ankle shackles. He became physically uncooperative when medical staff and Officers were attempting to place him onto the medical stretcher. Adolfo was eventually put into the ambulance and became belligerent toward the medical staff. Adolfo was transported to Ashley Regional Medical Center and was medically cleared, then transported to Uintah County Jail, where he was booked on charges of: Assault on a Peace Officer due to him attempting with unlawful force or violence to inflict bodily injury on me with the knowledge that I was a Peace Officer and that I was acting within the scope of my duties at the time of the assault. Disorderly conduct for engaging in violent, tumultuous, or threatening behavior and for making unreasonable noises in public that were intended to cause the public inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm and continuing to do so once asked to cease the conduct. Threats of violence for threatening to commit an offense involving bodily injury or death with the intent to place an individual in fear of imminent serious bodily injury, substantial bodily injury, or death. Interfering with arresting Officer for knowing, or by the exercise of reasonable care should have known, that I was a Peace Officer seeking to make a lawful arrest and interfering with that arrest by refusing to refrain from performing an act that would impede that arrest. Criminal trespass for entering or remaining unlawfully on a property with the intent to cause annoyance or injury to another person and for being reckless as to whether the person's presence will cause fear for the safety of another even after he had been asked to leave. Intoxication for being under the influence of alcohol to a degree where he may have been a danger to himself or another in a public place where he was unreasonable in disturbing other persons.

Posted by Travis Uresk | Sept. 23rd, 2022 | Robbery | Duchesne, Ut. | By Travis Uresk Sept. 23, 2022 Duchesne, Ut.- On September 19, 2022, Officer Reed responded to a burglary at 165 S. Center Street in Duchesne. The victim told the Officer that someone had been inside her home during the night while she was at work. The victim returned home around 2:00 AM for a coffee break and noticed that her door code was not working to unlock the door, and the light she leaves on during the night was turned off. The victim said the door was already unlocked but dismissed it as she could have forgotten to lock it. But when the victim entered her home, she noticed clothes that were folded on the bed had been moved and placed on top of a suitcase in the corner of the room. A tote had the lid removed and was lying on the floor next to the tote. The victim told Officer Reed she was home for about 10 minutes and returned to work. When the victim got off work and returned home around 6:00 AM and again noticed that the door to her home was unlocked. The victim looked under her bed to see if anyone was hiding under the bed, then began to look around her home and noticed that the bed sheets had been taken down as if someone had been lying in her bed watching TV because the remote was on the bed. Not where she puts it. The victim noticed that the clothes on the suitcase had been moved again and someone had been looking for something inside the suitcase. The victim also said several drawers in her room had also been gone through. Several items had been taken from the home, a carton of cigarettes, hair spray, some food, drinks, and a standing cellphone charger. While the robbery victim was looking around her home, she noticed blood on the utility door handle. When the owner of the Hotel arrived to do their daily cleaning, the maid found a bloody towel in room number five. Room five belonged to Joshua Allen Tait. Officer Reed entered Tait's room and saw a purple hairspray bottle that was described by the victim. The food items the victim described were found in Tait's fridge. Joshua Tait was located and questioned about the robbery and the items found in his room. Joshua told Officers, "he had a seizure the night before and was wandering around on State Street of Duchesne." He claimed everything was a blur and didn't remember what had happened before he had the seizure. Tait was asked about the bloody towel found in his room. Joshua said, "he gets a bloody nose every time he has a seizure." Joshua Tait was on probation and arrested then taken to Duchesne County Jail. At the time of the arrest, Officer Reed asked Tait if he had anything illegal on him, and he said "no." When searched by Corrections Officers in the Jail, they located Joshua's wallet tucked underneath his scrotum with Suboxone strips inside his wallet. Two strips had already been opened and used. The Corrections Officers found five other Suboxone strips that had not been opened. Indictment from Sept. 22nd, 2022 Indictment From Aug, 15th, 2022

Posted by Travis Uresk | Sept. 22nd 2022 | Child Abuse | Vernal, Ut. | By Nancy Van Valkenburg September 21, 2022 VERNAL, Utah, Sept. 21, 2022 — A Vernal man has been booked into jail on six felony charges after he allegedly abused a child left in his care. Jeremiah Solomon Espinoza, 48, faces six counts of child abuse, infliction of serious injury, intentionally, a second-degree felony. According to Espinoza’s probable cause statement, an 8-year-old girl was interviewed at the Uintah/Daggett Children’s Justice Center after a report in August of abuse by the caretaker. The child reported incidents including being punched in the nose, resulting in a nose bleed; being thrown to the floor and having her breathing and blood circulation impaired by pressure imposed by the suspect; being held by the throat while being lifted off the floor; being struck by a plastic stool, which left her with abrasions and bruises; being forced to eat unfinished food after hot sauce was added as punishment, and after she had regurgitated it; and being burned on the palm with a cigarette. The charging document says blood evidence and scars were found supporting several of the child’s accounts. Espinoza’s probable cause statement says he blamed the injuries on the child’s mother. The suspect was booked by Vernal Police into the Uintah County jail, where he was ordered held without bail. Reports of abuse inflicted by Espinoza on at least one the child’s siblings are being investigated.

Posted by Travis Uresk | Sept. 8th, 2022 | Sexual Abuse | Salt Lake City, Utah | By MICHAEL REZENDES and JASON DEAREN Sept. 8th, 2022 A Utah lawmaker and prominent attorney for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints advised a church bishop not to report a confession of child sex abuse to authorities, a decision that allowed the abuse to continue for years, according to records filed in a lawsuit. The records — two pages from a log of calls fielded by a law firm representing the church and the deposition of a church official — show that Utah Republican State Rep. Merrill F. Nelson took the initial call from a bishop reporting that church member Paul Adams had sexually abused his daughters. Nelson also had multiple conversations over a two-year span with two bishops who knew of the abuse, the records show. Nelson is a conservative lawmaker who was elected to the Utah House of Representatives in 2013 and announced his retirement earlier this year. He was also a lawyer with the Salt Lake City firm Kiron McConkie, which represents the church. He earned his undergraduate and law degree from church-owned Brigham Young University. 322 pages from a log of calls and documents fielded by a law firm https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22277029-mormon-church-help-line-call-logs A transcript of the deposition and excerpts of the call log were attached to a legal filing in the Arizona Court of Appeals made by lawyers for the plaintiffs. Three of Adams’s children are battling the church, widely known as the Mormon church, for access to records the church insists are confidential. The church took the case to the Court of Appeals after a Cochise County judge ruled in favor of the victims. According to the plaintiff’s legal filing, Nelson advised Bishop John Herrod not to report the abuse and told him “that he could be sued if he reported, and the instruction by counsel not to report Paul to the authorities was the law in Arizona and had nothing to do with Church doctrine.” But Arizona’s child sex abuse reporting law grants blanket legal immunity to anyone reporting child sex abuse or neglect. The AP reported in August that Adams confessed to Herrod in 2010 that he sexually abused his daughter, identified as MJ. The church’s lawyers have said Herrod, and later bishop Robert “Kim” Mauzy, legally withheld information about MJ’s abuse under the state’s clergy-penitent privilege. Arizona law generally requires clergy members to report child neglect and sexual abuse but allows them to withhold information obtained during a spiritual confession. The log of calls filed in the Arizona Court of Appeals shows that Nelson spoke with Herrod and Mauzy multiple times from November of 2011 to February of 2014, a period during which Adams was excommunicated. Mauzy presided over a 2013 church disciplinary process after which Adams was expelled. Although the log doesn’t detail the subject of those communications, Roger Van Komen, manager of the church’s southeast region family services department, said in a deposition also included with the filing that Nelson discussed the case with Herrod. The 2021 lawsuit alleges the church conspired to cover up Adam’s sexual crimes. The one-time U.S. Border Patrol employee repeatedly raped M.J. and eventually her younger sister at their Arizona home over a period of seven years and posted videos of the abuse on the Internet. During an interview with the AP before the new court records were filed, Nelson defended the church’s actions in the Adams case and the clergy-penitent privilege. He said the church “abuse help line” that Herrod had called for advice was designed to protect children. “I don’t have all the facts, but it seems to me like it did operate as intended,” he said. “The bishop called the help line and was advised no duty to report it to civil authorities. In fact, could not report because of the clergy privilege,” Nelson said. “It is intended and always has from the beginning been intended to to help victims get the help they need through social services, professional counseling, medical help, legal help, law enforcement,” Nelson said. Contacted after the new records were made public, Nelson declined further comment and asked that his previous comments be off the record. “I offer no comment on specific cases,” he said. As a lawmaker, Nelson is a genteel but deeply socially conservative, speaking out against repealing a law that banned sex outside of marriage in 2019 and unsuccessfully pushing to block changes to gender markers on birth certificates. This year, he opposed a plan to remove a marriage requirement for surrogacy arrangements. He also has opposed legislation that would do away with the clergy-penitent privilege. “Without that assurance of secrecy, troubled people will not confide in their clergy. Secrecy is essential to the privilege,” he said. “It encourages full disclosure without fear of unauthorized disclosure.” A spokesman for the church declined to comment on the plaintiff’s filing. The church established the help line in 1995 and requires bishops and other church leaders to call it before deciding whether to report the abuse to police or child welfare officials. According to church documents, those answering the help line refer callers to church attorneys with Kirton McConkie if the allegations of abuse are serious. The attorneys then decide whether the callers should report the abuse. Nelson, who was a shareholder at Kirton McConkie, took Herrod’s first call to the help line reporting Adams’s abuse, according to Van Komen’s deposition. Nelson told The AP he retired from the firm, though he remains listed on its website as a member of its First Amendment and Religious Organizations section. The AP investigation published in August found that the help line is part of a system that can easily be misused by church leaders to divert abuse accusations away from law enforcement and instead to church attorneys who may bury the problem, leaving victims in harm’s way. The AP’s findings were based in part on 12,000 pages of sealed records in an unrelated child abuse suit against the church filed in West Virginia. Many of the documents describe the operation of the help line, which includes destroying all records at the end of each day The sealed records included a list of questions that those answering the help line were to ask before referring calls to Kirton McConkie attorneys. The so-called “protocol” listed the names of several Kirton McConkie attorneys and their phone numbers, including Nelson’s. Until now, the church has said that all communications between Herrod and Mauzy and church attorneys are confidential under the attorney-client privilege. But the newly filed log provides some details of Nelson’s conversations with the two bishops. For instance, the log shows that Nelson wrote an “initial case summary” on Nov. 7, 2011 “based on a conversation” with Herrod. The log also notes a “description of legal advice,” and notes additional communications with the bishop. Federal officials arrested Adams in 2017, four years after he was excommunicated, finally stopping the abuse of MJ and her sister, with no help from the church. Adams died by suicide in custody before he could stand trial. His wife, Leizza Adams, served more than two years in state prison on child sex abuse charges. Three of their six children, including a boy who was allegedly abused, filed the lawsuit accusing the church of negligence for not reporting their abuse, and for engaging in a wider conspiracy to cover up child sex abuse. Attorneys for the three children declined to comment on the log and their most recent court filing. In their 2021 lawsuit they referred to Kirton McConkie while accusing the church of directing a system designed to protect the church against potentially costly sexual abuse lawsuits. “The Mormon Church implements the Helpline not for the protection and spiritual counseling of sexual abuse victims, as professed in Mormon church doctrine and literature, but for Kirton McConkie attorneys to snuff out complaints and protect the Mormon church from costly lawsuits,” the lawsuit says. Related Articles: Judge limits privilege defense in AZ Mormon sex abuse case https://apnews.com/article/mormon-lawsuit-arizona-sex-abuse-25231a4c668e2e69ae45df484096f7b7 AP's Mormon church sex abuse investigation https://www.1nationjustice.com/post/ap-s-mormon-church-sex-abuse-investigation

Posted by Travis Uresk | Sept. 1st, 2022 | Sex Crimes | By Kristin Forbis Sep 1, 2022 A former Uintah High School teacher who was fired for inappropriate behavior with a student has been found Guilty of sex crimes in 8th District Court. Charges of felony Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a Minor were formally filed in 2019 against then 33-year-old Rodd Adam Repsher who was arrested and booked into Uintah County Jail for investigation into unlawful sexual activity with a 16-year-old. According to the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office, the high school’s resource officer was informed on October 11th, 2016 that another teacher had found Repsher alone in his classroom pressed up against a student. The teacher told the detective that Repsher admitted later that day that he had kissed the teen. The Uintah School District put Repsher on leave the same day. He never returned to his classroom and his employment was terminated. The victim was interviewed by law enforcement but did not make any disclosures and no criminal charges were filed at that time. In July 2019, the case was reopened when one of the victim’s classmates contacted the detective and shared specifics of what the victim had told her about the relationship with Repsher. The detective then contacted the victim, who was now an adult, and the woman disclosed that she and Repsher engaged in sexual activity multiple times when she was 16 and he was a teacher at the high school. The encounters happened at the school, at Repsher's home and at a local business where Repsher also worked, she said. During last week’s trial, the jury found Repsher Guilty of multiple counts of Forcible Sodomy, Object Rape, and Forcible Sexual Abuse. Repsher was taken into custody on Friday and his sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 11th.

Posted by Travis Uresk | Aug 30th, 2022 | Internet Sex Crimes | By Travis Uresk August 30th, 2022 Vernal, Ut.- Austin Heath was in court today for attempting to have sex with what he thought was a 13-year-old female. On 6/15/21, Uintah County Detectives began an investigation into an online chat app, "Kik." A Uintah County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigator was messaged by Austin, going by the name "A." Even though Austin knew the profile was a 13-year-old female, he brought up sexual topics. Austin told the fake 13-year-old female he would travel to Vernal and rent a motel room so they would have more privacy. Austin told the ICAC investigator they could try different sexual acts when he arrived in Vernal. He also requested to take nude photographs and videos of the sex acts. Heath spoke of buying the 13-year-old new clothing for her to wear and had bought her a tablet for future chats. Austin said he would bring a sex toy and lubricant because it was her first time. Austin drove to Vernal, Ut. On 6/18/21 and arranged a meeting location with the female. When Austin arrived, he was arrested by the ICAC task force and taken to the Uintah County Jail. When interviewed, he said he was actually glad he got caught before something happened with the minor. Austin Heath moved to Eagle Mountain, Utah, two weeks before this incident from Allen Town, Pennsylvania. Austin was not released from jail because he would constitute a substantial danger to another individual or the community or is likely to flee the court's jurisdiction if released on bail.

Posted By Travis Uresk | Aug. 29th, 2022 | Domestic Violence | By Travis Uresk August 29th, 2022 Vernal, Ut.- On 5/17/22, Chief Simper was dispatched by phone and was told Koby Ziegler broke into the victim's home and strangled her. Chief Simper called the victim by phone as requested by the victim, and she believed that Koby could still be inside the house. The victim told Chief Simper that Ziegler broke into the home earlier that morning and strangled and pushed her, which caused her to fall and hit her head on the wall. Chief Simper called for backup and staged an ambulance nearby, the victim permitted officers to enter the home, and other additional units arrived and set up a perimeter around the property. Chief Simper entered the home with his K9, and multiple call-outs were given, stating that the police were there and the K9 was released to search the house. Officers then cleared the residence, and Koby was not found in the home or on the property. As officers continued, the search Chief Simper interviewed the victim and told him that Koby had not been living there since February. Around 5 AM, the victim woke to Koby standing over her. They started arguing about his phone being shut off. The victim told Koby that he couldn't break into her home and convinced him to go outside. The victim dead bolted and locked the door and placed boards in the window to prevent Ziegler from getting into the home. Later the victim went outside to take her children to school to find all four tires had been deflated. She then loaded her kids in the car, drove to the closest gas station to pump up her tires, drove her kids to school, then returned home. Once returning home, she noticed one of the camper windows was broken out, and multiple totes on the property had been ransacked and thrown all over the lawn. When the victim walked inside her home Koby was inside and broken inside her home again. Once inside, Koby started threatening to kill her; he charged toward her and placed both arms around her neck. This caused her to fall onto the bed. Koby then began to thrash her head up and down onto the mattress. The victim said, "I thought I was going to die, and I couldn't breathe." At this point, physically, she couldn't do anything to get Koby to stop beating her. She told Chief Simper she couldn’t remember if she had lost consciousness or not. The victim kept telling Koby he could not be there and to stop stealing her things. Koby said the victim "he will do whatever the f**k he wants and if she calls the police, he will burn the house down while she was asleep." Photographs were taken of the victim's injuries, and a person from the Victims Advocates office assisted with information and options to keep the victim and her family safe. Chief Simper began to photograph the scene; when entering the home, he observed a male subject hiding between a shelf and the bed. Simper drew his service weapon and ordered him to show his hands and to stand up. The male subject was placed in handcuffs and searched. The male subject identified himself as Koby Ziegler. Koby was transported to the Uintah County Jail for questioning and was willing to answer questions. Koby said he and the victim had not been living together since she found out he had a warrant out of Florida. Koby stated he was drinking the night before and struggled with his pain medication, and he ran out of his medication and drank the alcohol to help him sleep. Koby said his medication makes him “act out.” Koby admitted to entering the home, but the door was unlocked, and the argument started over the victim shutting his phone off and he tried to take the victim's phone away from her. Ziegler also admitted to saying numerous disgusting things to the victim. But he didn't know how she got the red marks on her neck. Koby told Chief Simper the victim left home after the argument, and he got into the shower; the next thing he knew, the police were there. Chief Simper asked Koby if he heard us calling out for him, and he said yes, I did but didn't want to be bitten by their police dog. Koby said he wasn't inside the home; he was outside hiding in the bushes. Koby continued speaking for some time about how the police were the cause of his marital problems. While in jail Kobe stole other inmates commissary and stole their pin numbers and made numerous phone calls. Details are on the last page of the indictment. Koby Ziegler was booked on the charges below: Indictment Criminal & Traffic Records

Posted by Travis Uresk | Aug. 28th, 2022 | Domestic Violence | By Travis Uresk Aug 28th, 2022 Vernal, Ut.- Sgt. Tribe investigated an incident with 33-year-old Krystal Louise Raven and one of her daughters when Raven accused her of stealing her drugs. During the argument, Raven grabbed her daughter by the hair and slapped the side of her head, causing injury to her daughter. The argument escalated, and Raven told her daughter she would take her up in the mountains to kill her and "to put on her shoes and a hat, so the blood didn't splatter." Two other children were in the home and were aware their mother had a gun in her bedroom and were scared that she was actually going to shoot one of them. When Police interviewed Krystal, she admitted to making the threats of taking her daughter to the mountain to kill her. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Raven’s home and found the gun described by the children hidden under Krystal’s mattress. Police also found in the bedroom various items of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. According to the affidavit. Four minor children lived in the home and were exposed to or had contact with the controlled substance from Raven smoking marijuana with the children inside the house. Krystal Raven is a category II restricted person and was charged with the list below:

Posted by Travis Uresk | Aug. 27th, 2022 | Domestic Violence | By Travis Uresk Aug. 27th, 2022 Roosevelt, Ut.- Officer Barton was dispatched to the UBMC Emergency Dept. to speak with a 31-year-old pregnant female for being assaulted by her live-in boyfriend, 28-year-old boyfriend, Jesus Luna. The female told Officer Barton they were fighting at their home in Vernal, Utah, and during the argument, she tried to leave, but Jesus wouldn't allow her. Jesus took her car keys and cell phone from her. After the argument, the victim went to the bedroom to lie on her bed. Later Jesus entered the bedroom and jumped on the victim's stomach with his knee with all his weight. Officer Barton noticed redness and swelling under the victim's right eye and asked if Jesus had done that. She said, "yes, after he jumped on me, he slapped me several times." Officer Barton also noticed bruising on the victim's legs. Vernal, Ut.- Sgt. Roth of the VPD attempted to contact Luna at his home in Vernal, but Luna was not at home. Det. Sgt. Tribe received a report from the Division of Family Services saying there were five children in the home at the time of the physical altercation between Jesus and the victim. Two children called their biological mother saying, "Jesus was beating up his girlfriend." Both children were interviewed at the Daggett Children's Justice Center, and both confirmed Jesus had jumped on and hit the victim. The next day Jesus Luna was seen in the parking lot of the Vernal McDonald's driving a green Chevy truck. Vernal Police arrested Luna, searched him, and found a THC vape pen inside Jesus's front pocket. Luna was taken to the Vernal Police Dept. to be interviewed. Luna admitted to being in a verbal argument with his girlfriend, which escalated to physically pushing and wrestling with the victim on the bed. Luna admitted he might have come in contact with his girlfriend's stomach but denied targeting her stomach to terminate the pregnancy. Jesus also admitted to hitting/smacking his girlfriend in the face three times during the fight when she tried to leave home. Jesus said, "he did this because he wanted to resolve the issue with his girlfriend before she left. He also admitted to knowing the Police came to his home and knocked but didn't answer the door because, again, he wanted to resolve the issue with the victim. Jesus Luna was transported to the Uintah County Jail for the charges listed below: