Mancos man gets deferred prosecution
A 69-year-old man accused of cutting five trees off his neighbor’s property has avoided prosecution.
Facing criminal mischief and trespass charges, Laird Carlson, of Mancos, was granted a deferred prosecution on April 17 as a jury trial was about to start. The delayed prosecution requires that Carlson stay off the alleged victim’s property and not commit crimes in the next 12 months.
Court records reveal the trees were cut down on a property on County Road 41.9 between December 2013 and January 2014. Court records placed restitution at $28,000, based on an appraisal by a Durango garden center.
Felon faces weapons charges
A convicted felon charged with violating a protection order is expected to appear in court next month after allegedly holding a woman against her will.
In addition to violating a protection order, Maurice Nat, 23, of Cortez faces weapons charges stemming from an incident on Jan. 10. He is free under a $500 bond, according to court records.
Escapee headed to drug court
A man who was serving time for resisting arrest and obstruction now faces a charge of attempted escape.
Skylan Brassil, 22, of Mancos, is likely to be sentenced to drug court next month in connection to a failed escape attempt from the Montezuma County jail last fall. He was convicted of resisting arrest and obstruction last summer and sentenced to 24 months of probation with the stipulation that he attend in-patient drug treatment.
At a hearing this month, Brassil told the court via telephone that he failed to check into treatment because he was having stomach pains and needed to use the bathroom the day he was set to report.
Knife-wielding assailant charged
A Towaoc man was bound over to district court this month after allegedly stabbing a man in the leg in February.
Charged as a habitual criminal, Clint Laner, 25, faces multiple charges, including assault and tampering with evidence in connection to an alleged stabbing incident at a North Edith Street home. The alleged 32-year-old victim was stabbed in the thigh and required seven stitches.
In custody under a $50,000 bond, Laner was previously convicted for menacing and vehicular eluding charges, according to court records.
Towaoc man pleads not guilty in drug bust
Charged with drug distribution, a Towaoc man reportedly flushed an unknown amount of psychedelic mushrooms down the toilet of a local motel in December.
Ellison Jones pleaded not guilty last week to charges of tampering with evidence, possession with intent to distribute and protection order violations. A jury trial, expected to last three days, was set for Aug. 17.
According to court records, the arrest was made after police responded to a disturbance call at the National 9 Motel. Police allege that Jones was found in possession of more than 2 ounces of marijuana.
Sears embezzler pleads guilty
A former Sears Co. employee has pleaded guilty to two counts of theft in connection to a six-month embezzlement scheme.
Accused of stealing between $20,000 and $100,000 from the local Sears store, Zachary Bane, 28, of Cortez, entered the plea deal last week. The terms of the plea agreement or a sentencing date weren’t included in court records.
In a letter to the court, the previous storeowner wrote that she was opposed to the plea deal, saying Bane’s criminal actions caused her to lose a $350,000 franchise investment.
According to the victim, Bane “purposely and deliberately” produced fraudulent store returns for cash and provided free gift cards to friends to buy televisions, mattresses and tools. According to prosecutors, total restitution could exceed $15,000.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com