TANEY COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY

VENDING MACHINE THEFTS NET SIX (6) YEAR PRISON SENTENCE

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:06:04 +0000

On Thursday, February 2, 2012, in Taney County Circuit Court, TIMOTHY LEMMONS (d/o/b 05-27-1987), of Branson, was sentenced by Judge Mark Orr to six (6) years in prison for felony stealing. The charge stemmed from a string of vending machine break-ins in August of 2010.

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BOLLES SENTENCED TO FIVE (5) YEARS IN PRISON ON FELONY CASES

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:29:15 +0000

MATHEW BOLLES (d.o.b. 1-11-1981), of Branson, Missouri, was sentenced by Circuit Judge Mark Orr on Thursday, January 19, 2012, to five (5) years in prison for the class C felony of domestic assault in the second degree. BOLLES entered the guilty plea on Thursday pursuant to a plea agreement with the Taney County Prosecutor’s Office. In a separate case, BOLLES pleaded guilty to the class C felony of possession of a controlled substance, for which he received a concurrent five (5) year prison sentence.

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ROUSSELO SENTENCED TO SEVEN (7) YEARS IN PRISON FOR DOMESTIC ASSAULT

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:22:36 +0000

CHRISTOPHER ROUSSELO (d.o.b. 4-12-1983), of Hollister, Missouri, was sentenced on Thursday, December 15, 2011, to seven (7) years in prison for the class B felony of domestic assault in the first degree, and seven (7) years in prison for the unclassified felony of armed criminal action. Taney County Circuit Court Judge Mark Orr sentenced Rousselo after hearing a brief statement from the assault victim and arguments from the attorneys. Judge Orr had found Rousselo guilty of the two (2) felony charges after a bench trial on September 14, 2011.

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FIRES NET FOUR (4) YEARS IN PRISON FOR VERNON CHRISTIAN

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:08:31 +0000

Vernon Christian (d.o.b. 5-11-1938), of Kirbyville, Missouri, pleaded guilty on Thursday, December 15, 2011, to two felony cases of knowingly burning. Taney County Circuit Court Judge Mark Orr sentenced Christian to the maximum sentence of four (4) years in prison on each of the two cases. Probation was denied.

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RALSTON FOUND GUILTY BY TANEY COUNTY JURY

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:03:14 +0000

On Tuesday, December 13, 2011, in Forsyth, Missouri, Ricky Don Ralston (d/o/b 11/28/1967) was found guilty by a Taney County jury of statutory sodomy in the second degree, statutory rape in the second degree, and sexual misconduct with a child by indecent exposure. The nine-man, three-woman jury deliberated for just under forty-five minutes before arriving at the unanimous guilty verdicts on all charges. Taney County Circuit Court Judge Mark Orr scheduled sentencing for February 9, 2012.

The charges stemmed from allegations that Ralston sexually abused his live-in girlfriend’s teenage daughter, age 15, in his home in Walnut Shade, Taney County, Missouri, from December 2008 through the end of August 2009. A child abuse hotline call prompted an investigation that led to an investigation into the sexual abuse allegations. The indecent exposure charge was the result of a disclosure from the 13 year old son of Ralston’s girlfriend that Ralston had exposed himself to the boy, then made fun of the boy and called him names for having looked at Ralston’s genitals.

Statutory sodomy in the second degree and statutory rape in the second degree are each class C felonies carrying a maximum sentence of up to seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a fine not to exceed $5,000.00. Sexual misconduct with a child by indecent exposure is a class D felony carrying a maximum sentence of up to four (4) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a fine not to exceed $5,000.00.

THREE (3) YEARS IN PRISON FOR SEX OFFENDER WHO FAILED TO REGISTER

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:13:02 +0000

DAVID R. McWILLIAMS (d.o.b. 6-23-1955), of Branson, Missouri, was sentenced on Thursday, December 8, 2011, to three (3) years in prison for the class D felony of Failing to Register as a Sex Offender. Taney County Circuit Court Judge Mark Orr sentenced McWilliams after a contested hearing, during which McWilliams’ attorney argued for probation and Taney County Prosecutor Jeff Merrell argued for a prison sentence. McWilliams had previously entered a guilty plea to the charge on October 26, 2011.

The felony charge stemmed from McWilliams not registering his change of address with the Taney County Sheriff from August 8, 2010, through October 20, 2010. During that time period, McWilliams was not living at the address he had previously registered with the Sheriff, and his whereabouts were unknown.

The class D felony of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender carries a maximum sentence not to exceed four (4) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a fine not to exceed $5,000.00.

MOBILE METH LAB RESULTS IN EIGHT (8) YEAR PRISON SENTENCE

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:11:41 +0000

MICHAEL SOWERS (d.o.b. 10-13-1969), of Kissee Mills, Missouri, was sentenced on Thursday, December 8, 2011, to eight (8) years in prison for the class B felony of attempting to manufacture a controlled substance. On October 6, 2011, Sowers had appeared before Taney County Circuit Court Judge Mark Orr and entered a guilty plea to the charge without any plea agreement.

The felony charge against Sowers was the result of an investigation and arrest that occurred on July 22, 2011, at which time Sowers was the driver of a pickup truck found parked late at night in the parking lot of the Episcopal Church in Branson. Due to suspicious behavior, Branson Police questioned Sowers and the truck’s passenger. The passenger informed police that there was a mobile meth lab located in a bag in the bed of the pickup. Once that bag was discovered by the officers, Sowers was questioned. Sowers admitted to officers on the scene that he was aware of the methamphetamine manufacturing components in the bag, and took responsibility for the contraband.

The class B felony of attempt to manufacture a controlled substance carries a maximum sentence of fifteen (15) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

WILSON FOUND GUILTY OF INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE DRUGS

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:05:22 +0000

ROBERT S. WILSON (d.o.b. 8/11/1954), of Hollister, Missouri, was found guilty by Taney County Circuit Court Judge Mark Orr of the class B felony of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, as a persistent felony drug offender. The guilty verdict was the result of a bench trial held on November 16, 2011, heard by Judge Orr. Because the Court found that Wilson is a persistent felony drug offender, the maximum sentence in this case is the same as a class A felony: thirty (30) years or life in the Missouri Department of Corrections, without the possibility of probation or parole. A sentencing date for Wilson has not yet been scheduled.

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EIGHT (8) YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR POSSESSING STOLEN PROPERTY

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:04:45 +0000

On Thursday, December 1, 2011, Taney County Circuit Court Judge Mark Orr sentenced Raymond Arledge (d.o.b. 9/24/1981), of Branson, to eight (8) years in prison for the class C felony of Receiving Stolen Property. Arledge was charged by the Taney County Prosecutor’s Office as a prior and persistent felony offender, and the eight (8) year sentence was by plea agreement.

Arledge was developed as a suspect in an August 10, 2011, burglary committed at the Blue Bayou Motel, in Branson, based upon some statements from eyewitnesses. Branson Police officers investigated and eventually discovered Arledge in a trailer with several stolen items. The items – including power tools, video games, and Guitar Hero guitars – had a total value of over $1,000.00.

The maximum punishment for a class C felony of Receiving Stolen Property is up to seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a fine not to exceed $5,000.00. However, as a persistent felony offender, the maximum is a term of imprisonment not to exceed fifteen (15) years in prison. A persistent felony offender is someone with at least two (2) prior felony convictions.

FIFTEEN (15) YEAR SENTENCE GIVEN FOR OCTOBER 2010 CAR BREAK-INS

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:47:04 +0000

Samantha Smitherman (d.o.b. 1/23/1991) of Springfield, Missouri, was sentenced on Thursday to fifteen (15) years in prison for her role in a series of car break-ins occurring on October 5, 2010.

On November 17, 2011, Taney County Circuit Court Judge Mark Orr sentenced Smitherman, pursuant to a plea agreement with the Taney County Prosecuting Attorney’s office, to concurrent fifteen (15) year prison terms on six (6) different class C felonies – one (1) class C felony of Stealing and five (5) class C felonies of Tampering in the First Degree. A class C felony normally carries a maximum penalty not to exceed seven (7) years in prison and/or a $5,000.00 fine, however, Smitherman was charged by the State as a persistent felony offender. Because Smitherman had been previously convicted of two (2) or more felony offenses, her maximum sentence on each class C felony was enhanced to fifteen (15) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

On October 5, 2010, Smitherman was driving a stolen car around Branson, along with two other individuals. Smitherman and her accomplices used a tool to smash the windows out of several automobiles around Branson, stealing purses and other items from inside – including at a Branson School parking lot. Smitherman was developed as a suspect through an investigation by Branson Police, who tracked the use of credit cards stolen from the victims’ purses. During an interview with Branson Police, Smitherman admitted to her involvement in the crime spree.