Archive for October, 2012

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Sharyn’s Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

BACK DOOR BREAK-IN

• A burglar alarm alerted Chehalis police to Dairy Dans on the 1500 block of South Market Boulevard about 2:15 a.m. today where an officer found the back door forced open. Police will be reviewing surveillance video from the business, but it didn’t appear anything was stolen, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

FRONT DOOR BREAK-IN

• A 30-year-old Centralia man called the sheriff’s office yesterday about a burglary to his home in which $100 cash and two rings were stolen. The front door to the home on the 3700 block of Russell Road was damaged, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The break-in occurred between 7:15 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

HOME RANSACKED

• Police were called abut 11 p.m. yesterday to the 200 block of High Street in Centralia where a woman returned home to discover someone had entered her residence, written derogatory messages on the walls and then thrown some of her belongings outside. Centralia police note they have possible suspect information in the case.

SHED RANSACKED

• A storage shed on the 2200 block of North Pearl Street in Centralia was ransacked, according to a report made to the Centralia Police Department yesterday morning. The victim was still sorting through to determine what was missing, according to police.

PALLETS TAKEN

• A Chehalis police officer stopped a pickup truck loaded with pallets driving away from the Grocery Outlet on Louisiana Avenue about 4 o’clock this morning and arrested the driver – Ivan Garcia Corrales, 31, of Federal Way –  for third-degree theft, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

IPHONE 5 TAKEN

• Centralia police were called to the haunted house on the 2000 block of Borst Avenue yesterday evening after an unknown suspect stole an iPhone 5 from a volunteer there.

CREDIT CARD FRAUD

• Centralia police took a report from the 2400 block of Cooks Hill Road yesterday afternoon about unauthorized charges on a man’s credit card.

BAD CHECK

• Morton police took a complaint of an unlawful issuance of bank checks on the 200 block of Main Avenue last week. The writer of the check was contacted and encouraged to satisfy the check or potentially face criminal charges, according to the Morton Police Department.

911 CALLER WANTS HELP FINDING BED

• Morton police received a report of a dispute just before 1 a.m. on Saturday on the 100 block of Main Avenue. An officer determined the caller was an intoxicated citizen trying to find their way to their motel room, according to Morton Police Department.

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Glenoma resident pleads guilty in California multi-million dollar mortgage fraud

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A former Southern California woman who now lives in Glenoma pleaded guilty today to charges in connection with orchestrating a mortgage fraud scheme convincing lenders to fund more than $20 million in loans on approximately three dozen properties in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Wanda Coleman, 59, admitted to one count of mail fraud pursuant to a plea agreement filed under seal in U.S. District Court in Portland, according to authorities.

Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Robbins said Coleman had a film company and some of the proceeds were used to finance films and some for personal use.

She is a former resident of Pauma Valley in San Diego County, he said. He said he couldn’t say exactly if she had family or other connections that prompted her to relocate to Lewis County.

Robbins said Coleman recruited straw buyers who offered to pay sellers substantially more than their asking price in return for the sellers’ agreement to refund the excess amount to her or companies she controlled.

She and co-conspirators submitted mortgage applications that contained false information regarding the buyers’ employment, income and assets as well as omitted material information, according to the U.S. Attorneys’ Office.

The buyers ultimately defaulted on the loans, resulting in foreclosures and losses of more than $11 million to the lenders, Robbins said.

The indictment was filed a year ago, but covered activities from as early as 2005 and into 2009, he said. It’s the kind of scheme which was easier to pull off before the housing market crashed and transactions tightened up, he said.

Three others have pleaded guilty in connection with the scheme, as well as two more individuals in related cases, according to Robbins. The so-called straw buyers were not charged, he said.

“The mortgage broker, the escrow agent, they were all in on it,” Robbins said.

Participants also forged bank statements and prepared other fraudulent documents to corroborate the false claims, according to the U.S. Attorneys’ Office.

Robbins said he only knew of the one film Coleman was involved in called “Samurai Woman”.

The case grew out of an investigation by the FBI and originated in the United States Attorneys Office in the Central District of California. It was transferred to the District of Oregon for entry of the plea and sentencing because of the proximity to Coleman’s new residence, Robbins said.

She will be sentenced on Jan. 25 in Portland. The maximum sentence is 30 years but the details in the plea agreement are under seal for now.

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News brief: Soggy streets expected for trick-or-treating tonight

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Weather forecasters say there is 100 percent chance of rain tonight in Chehalis and expect small streams and urban areas to experience minor flooding.

An advisory which was extended this morning covers Lewis County and nearly all of Western Washington.

Nearly 2 inches of rain has fallen across many lowland locations during the past 24 hours and moderate rainfall the rest of rest of today will produce ponding of water, according to the National Weather Service.

The problem will be seen especially on roads beneath overpasses and intersections where drainage is poor because of a buildup of leaves and such, according to the weather service.

Motorists should keep in mind just a few inches of water can cause them to lose control of their vehicles, the advisory cautions.

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Eighty-year-old Morton man not seen since Monday

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

An 80-year-old Morton man who lives alone was reported missing yesterday after his grown son arrived at the man’s residence for a planned hunting outing to find nobody home.

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William H. Osborne

William H. Osborne was last seen on Monday purchasing a hunting license at Tri Mountain Sports & Radio Shack in town, according to the Morton Police Department.

“We’re putting all resources into locating him, obviously time is of the essence,” Chief Dan Mortensen said this morning.

Osborne’s family describes him as possibly having some short term memory loss and he’s not very mobile because of his age, Mortensen said. He’s 5-feet 8-inches tall and about 185 pounds.

One challenge is it’s virtually impossible to activate a search and rescue mission because they have no specific location to start looking, the chief said.

Osborne’s family is in the area looking and police have alerted local law enforcement and surrounding agencies, according to Mortensen.

Osborne drives a silver 2003 Dodge Dakota pickup with a white utility canopy. Its license plate is B67640P.

He and his son spoke around 11:30 a.m. on Monday and that’s the last time Osborne’s cell phone was used, the chief said. He purchased the hunting license between noon and 2 p.m.

The son, who lives in Orting, showed up yesterday to meet his father, and then checked a local restaurant before calling police, Mortensen said.

Police tried unsuccessfully to “ping” the cell phone to learn its location, he said.

His neighbors didn’t think he came home Monday night, the chief said.

“We don’t know where he is,” Mortensen said. “His son thought he could have gone up into the mountains to shoot his gun, possibly grouse hunting.”

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News brief: Centralia auto business drug case will bring 10 years or more for Valle Vega

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Donato Valle Vega faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison following his conviction in connection with pounds of drugs seized from the attic of a Centralia car lot.

A jury found Valle Vega guilty on Friday of in U.S. District Court in Tacoma of one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and a second similar count related to methamphetamine, according to Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Thomas.

“The jury deliberated about four and half hours,” Thomas said.

Federal agents descended upon Emmanuel Auto Sales on Harrison Avenue in September 2010 after Valle Vega admitted hiding drugs at his business.

He was charged by indictment the same month.

Thomas said the offense brings a sentence of at least 10 years and as much as life in prison.

A forfeiture hearing is scheduled for Jan. 4 and sentencing is set for Jan. 25 in front of Judge Ronald B. Leighton, according to Thomas.
•••

For background, read “Centralia auto business arrest followed discovery of almost 10 pounds of cocaine” from Wednesday September 29, 2010, here

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Sharyn’s Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

THEFT INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY AT CENTRALIA EAGLES

• Police are investigating money missing from the Centralia Eagles. An officer called just after noon time yesterday to the 2300 block of North Pearl Street learned there was cash missing, according to the Centralia Police Department. Sgt. Jim Shannon said it’s not clear if the theft occurred during business hours or not. The amount in question was not disclosed but Shannon said he believes it is less than $1,000.

CHEHALIS POLICE LOOK INTO ASSAULT OF TEEN

• Chehalis police were called about 5:25 p.m. yesterday to a business on the 1000 block of South Market Boulevard after a 14-year-old girl walked in and said she was assaulted. The case is under investigation, according to Officer Linda Bailey.

SMALL BAGGIE FOUND AT FIRE DEPARTMENT HANDED OVER TO POLICE

• Police were called to the Northwest Park Street about 7:20 .m. today about an unknown substance in a small baggie found inside a vehicle at the Chehalis Fire Department. The material will be tested to determine what it is, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Someone prowled an unlocked vehicle on the 2000 block of Southwest Olympic Drive in Chehalis, according to a report made to police yesterday. Nothing was missing, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

WRECK

• Two people were hospitalized after a one-car rollover accident yesterday morning northwest of Centralia. Firefighters called about 10:30 a.m. to Galvin Road near River Heights Road said there were four occupants. Further details were not readily available.

SMOKE DRAWS FIRE CREW TO BURGERVILLE

• Centralia firefighters called to a report of smoke inside Burgerville early this morning found an overheated light fixture in a back room. Riverside Fire Authority Capt. Casey McCarthy said crews called at 6:20 a.m. to the Harrison Avenue eatery shut off the power but didn’t need to use any water on the ballast.

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Read about Rochester man arrested for allegedly passing quality phony $100 bills around Grays Harbor County …

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The (Aberdeen) Daily World reports a 54-year-old Rochester man suspected of passing fake $100 bills sophisticated enough to pass the “marker test” has turned himself in.

News reporter Will Morris writes the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office and Montesano police used video footage to develop suspects in the case and they are seeking a 41-year-old woman they believe was involved as well.

Read more here

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