•James L. Kelley, Sr., was sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Richard G. Callahan announced Tuesday.
Kelley, 52, Salem, pleaded guilty in November 2009 to one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Due to his previous criminal history, law to own or possess firearms forbids him. He appeared Tuesday for sentencing before United States District Judge Carol E. Jackson.
The case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which seeks to prevent violent crime through enforcement of federal firearms laws, such as the law prohibiting convicted felons from possessing firearms.
Callahan commended the work on the case by the Salem Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Assistant United States Attorney Cristian M. Stevens, who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
•What started as an incident of shoplifting and trespassing at a local business Jan. 25, turned into an arrest for distributing controlled substances less than 400 feet from the Salem R-80 Lower Elementary School for a Salem woman.
Susanne Medley, 33, has been charged with a felony of distributing a controlled substance near a school-persistent offender- and a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia with the intent to use. She was arraigned Jan. 28 in Dent County Circuit Court Associate Division.
Medley is free on a $50,000 bond, according to the Dent County Sheriff's Office. Conditions of her bond state that she is to check in weekly at the Dent County Sheriff's Office and submit to random drug testing and pay for those tests.
According to a probable cause statement filled with the court:
• Salem Police Officer Joe Chase was originally called to Wal-Mart concerning a shoplifting and trespassing incident. The Wal-Mart assistant manager told Chase that Medley had hypodermic needles in the waistband of her pants. During an investigation Chase found six hypodermic needles syringes in the waistband of her pants.
She was arrested at the scene and transported to the Salem Police Department. At the department, Chase located three prescription bottles for Alprazolam, oxycontin and endoct that had been filled Jan. 25. The alprazolam was to contain 60 tablets but contained 49, the oxycontin prescription was to contain 90 tablets but contained only 45 and the endocet prescription was to contain 90 tablets but contained only nine. Medley also had a handbag that contained $1,644 in cash in various denominations.
Medley told Chase that she sold her pills in front of a home and in the back of the same residence to two different individuals less than 400 feet away from the William Lynch Elementary School.
The charges filed by Susan Bell, assistant Dent County Prosecuting Attorney, indicate that Medley is a persistent offender by pleading guilty to stealing in the Circuit Court of Boonville for events that occurred Jan. 20, 2001, and pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substance in Crawford County for events that occurred March 5, 2004.
HIGHWAY PATROL ACCIDENT REPORT
A Bunker woman suffered minor injuries in a one-car crash Jan. 29 in Reynolds County.
Tanya L. Case, 34, was taken by Reynolds County ambulance to Advanced Heathcare in Ellington, according to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Case was a passenger in a 2001 Dodge Neon driven southbound by Aaron K. Fortner, 25, Bunker. The crash occurred at 10 a.m. on Rt. 21, seven miles north of Ellington, when the vehicle ran off the roadway and struck a tree.
The car sustained total damage and was towed from the scene by Hills Towing of Ellington.
HIGHWAY PATROL INCIDENT REPORT
A 41-year-old Salem man was arrested Feb. 2 by the Missouri State Highway Patrol for felony possession of morphine, according to the patrol's online arrest report.
Arrested was Daniel Hartsfield. He was also arrested for driving while suspended and failure to register a motor vehicle. The arrest time was 11:43 p.m. He was originally held in the Dent County jail then released, according to the report.
POLICE ACCIDENT REPORT
•At 5 p.m. Jan. 26 a 1996 Chevrolet driven by Michael Patee, Salem, was traveling southbound on North Hickory, failed to stop at a stop sign and continued southbound crossing Center Street and made contact with a 1993 Ford driven by Steven Simpson, Salem.
Simpson's vehicle sustained extensive damage, Patee's vehicle sustained moderate damage.
POLICE INCIDENT REPORT
The Salem Police Department made five arrests in the last week, according to reports received Feb.2.
According to the reports:
• A 17-year-old Salem man was arrested for failing to appear on a traffic citation in an incident 2:20 p.m. Feb. 1. He paid the fine, the cost and was released.
• A 36-year-old Salem man was arrested for stealing $4.93 worth of merchandise in a shoplifting incident at Wal-Mart 12:30 p.m. Jan.29. He was issued a summons to appear in court and released.
• A 35-year-old Salem woman was arrested for stealing $58.93 worth of merchandise in a shoplifting incident 3:15 p.m. Jan. 29.She was issued a summons to appear in court and released.
• A 29-year-old Marion, Ill. woman was arrested for stealing $34.25 worth of merchandise in a shoplifting incident at Wal-Mart 3:30 p.m. Jan.29. She was issued a summons to appear in court and released.
• A 42-year-old Bunker man was arrested for assault in an incident 9:30 p.m. Jan. 28 in the 1000 block of East Highway 32. He was incarcerated pending the issuance of a warrant.
SHERIFF'S INCIDENT REPORT
The Dent County Sheriff's Office is investigating a burglary at rural county residence.
According to the report:
• A Husqvarna chainsaw was taken from a shed at a local residence on county road 4283 sometime in the last week. It was reported Feb. 2 to the Dent County Sheriff's Office.
FIRE CALLS
The Dent County Fire Protection District responded to several fire calls during the past week, according to reports released by the fire department.
• Seven firefighters responded to a house fire at 8:46 a.m. Jan. 20 at a home on County Road 3190. The fire was extinguished by firefighters. The fire was thought to have started in the attic and caused minor damage.
• Firefighters responded to two separate calls to the same residence. The first call was at 2:35 p.m. Jan. 19 and again at 1:29 a.m. Jan. 20 to an electrical fire at a residence on Hwy. 68 North. The fire was extinguished by firefighters. Eight firefighters responded to the Jan. 19 call and four assisted on the Wednesday call.
• Nine firefighters responded to a medical assistance call to assist EMTs at 11:46 p.m. Jan. 18 on South Main Street.
Eight firefighters assisted on a flue fire call at 6:39 p.m. Jan. 18 to a home on County Road 5090. The fire was contained to the chimney or flue and was extinguished by firefighters.
• Six firefighters responded to a motor vehicle crash at 12:34 p.m. Jan. 18 on Iron Mountain Road. Upon arrival the vehicle was rolled over on top and the occupants were out and no injuries.
• Seven firefighters responded to a house fire at 10:15 a.m. Jan. 18 on County Road 3210. Firefighter vented and extinguished fire. Property owner said he hit a guidewire with his tractor. A utility pole had been broken at the base and removed neutral wire from the house. Intercounty Electric was contacted.
• Six firefighters responded to a medical assistance call at 10:31 p.m. Jan. 17 at a home on Hwy. 72 to assist EMS crew.
• Six firefighters responded to a medical assistance call at 1:13 a.m. to a home on North Iron Street to assist EMS.
• Five firefighters responded to a call at 11:19 a.m. Jan. 16 for assistance at a home on County Road 2245. The call was cancelled while personnel were in route.
• Six firefighters responded to a call at 6:33 p.m. Jan. 14 to assist with extrication of a victim from a vehicle on Hwy. W and 32.
• Seven firefighters responded to an electrical wiring/equipment problem at 6:05 p.m. Jan. 14 at a residence on County Road 2390. Investigation revealed a TV cable running to the residence was burned and had caused some damage to the underpinning of the home and caused a small grass fire. Property owners were advised to contact Fidelity Communications.
• Four firefighters responded to a medical assistance call at 11 a.m. Jan. 14 at a home on County Road 4060 to assist EMS crew with an elderly person who had fallen.
• Five firefighters responded to a medical assistance call at 10:55 a.m. Jan. 13 at a residence on South Holman Street to assist EMS crew in carrying a patient to the ambulance.
