In the News
Judge throws out evidence in meth case
Clay Center Dispatch
Monday, March 15, 2006
A botched traffic stop by Salina authorities led District Judge Paul Miller
yesterday to suppress out all the prosecutor's evidence in a meth-related case
against Jeffrey Roberts, Clay Center.
County Attorney Rick
James said he will ask for
dismissal of all charges
against Roberts including
manufacturing of
methamphetamine,
possession of precursors
and intent to manufacture
methamphetamine.
"I have no evidence left to
go to trial," James told the
Dispatch yesterday after
the hearing.
Roberts was arrested in
May, 2005 with three
others after the Salina
Police Department Drug
Task Force was contacted by a south Salina Target store reporting that three
people were buying large quantities of cold medicine containing pseudo
ephedrine.
Clay County Sheriff Chuck Dunn said the traffic stop led to the recovery of 15
boxes of cold medicine.
Judge Miller ruled that the evidence gathered in the following investigation
should be surpressed because the traffic stop and subsequent search was
illegal, according to James.
Roberts was arraigned last week in another case in Manhattan for possession
of methamphetamines, James said yesterday.
Meanwhile a search is underway for Brian Riffle, 20, of Wakefield, who failed to
show up for sentencing on a conviction he sold methamphetamine within 1,000
feed of a school at Wakefield, James said.
Judge Meryl Wilson issued a failure to appear warrant for Riffle's arrest setting
bond at $100,000. James said Riffle hasn't been seen in the area for the past
two to three weeks.
A retrial of Rick Hess, Clay Center, on charges of criminal threat has been set
for 9 a.m. Thursday, April 17, James said.
A jury in February was unable to reach a verdict on charges that Hess had
threatened to kill his wife and daughter in April, 2005.
Also in District Court James Robinson, 18, Clay Center, pled guilty to one count
of felony possession of methamphetamine, one count of criminal use of a
weapon, one count of burglary and one count of felony criminal damage to
property.
Robinson was arrested Christmas day following investigation into a rash of
burglaries in Clay Center. Sentencing has been set for 9 a.m. May 18, 2006.
Police caught Robinson attempting to break in to a Clay Center office building
early Christmas morning. That arrest led to a search warrant of Robinson's
home where items reported taken from a number of business in the preceding
weeks were found.
Clifford Lepak, 20, Wakefield was arraigned on two counts of aggravated
indecent liberties with a child. Lepak has pled not guilty to both counts and a
trial has been set for 9 a.m. May 4 and 5, 2006.
And the arraignment of Thaddeus Dugan, 32, Clay Center, on charges of felony
criminal threat has been set for 9 a.m. April 11, 2006.
© Copyright 2006 Clay Center Dispatch
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