Fraud charges filed for hardware store scheme A Silverton man has been implicated in an alleged large-scale and sophisticated fraud scheme targeting hardware stores throughout Oregon, including new local charges. Elton Bud Ralston, 40, has been charged in four separate cases in Marion, Linn, Yamhill and Washington counties for alleged thefts involving tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise. According […]
100 months for DUII fatality A Silverton man has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison for a DUII collision last year that killed a Keizer teenager. Gustavo Sosa, 27, pleaded guilty Feb. 1 in Marion County Circuit Court to second-degree manslaughter and hit-and-run for the May 23, 2023, death of Victor Andre Cortez-Andrade, 16. He also pleaded […]
The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) has settled a personal injury lawsuit with a former Silverton Middle School student who slipped and broke a leg on a wet floor in 2017. On Dec. 21, 2023, Cramer vs. SFSD was dismissed in Marion County Circuit Court at the request of both parties after the district agreed to settle for $42,500. The […]
Mount Angel Police Chief Mark Daniel said there are “no active threats to the community” as authorities search for a suspect in the Jan. 1 fatal shooting of a local resident. Agustin Barocio, 42, has been accused of killing Brandon Slack, 42, both of Mount Angel, and is the subject of a no-bail warrant on charges including second-degree murder with […]
By Stephen Floyd A lawsuit against PacifiCorp by a local vineyard over the 2020 wildfires has been partially dismissed as a potential trial remains pending. On Dec. 13, Marion County Circuit Court Judge Channing Bennett signed an order dismissing a claim of corruption of evidence in Willamette Valley Vineyards, Inc. vs. PacifiCorp et al. The plaintiff voluntarily agreed to dismiss […]
A Silverton man has been sentenced to two years in prison after attacking another man with a baseball bat. Zachary Andrew Short, 31, pleaded guilty Nov. 28 in Marion County Circuit Court to unlawful use of a weapon and attempted second-degree assault for an incident on Aug. 5. Short allegedly injured a man known to him with a bat. Additional […]
A Silverton man accused of sexually abusing a teenager is facing a slew of new charges related to child pornography. Eli Freedom Fischer, 46, was indicted Nov. 30 in Marion County Circuit Court on new charges of first-degree encouraging child sex abuse. This was in addition to existing charges of second-degree sexual abuse, third-degree sexual abuse and using a child […]
A March trial has been set for a Silverton man accused of killing a Keizer teenager after an alleged hit-and-run collision in May. Gustavo Sosa, 27, is scheduled for a four-day trial beginning March 12, 2024, in Marion County Circuit Court on charges including first-degree manslaughter for the death of Victor Andre Cortez-Andrade, 16. Sosa allegedly rear-ended a vehicle occupied […]
A Bend man has been sentenced to a year-and-a-half of probation after pleading guilty to attacking a Silverton man with a stick while the victim had an active restraining order against him. Brandon Lynn Rogers, 42, pleaded guilty Nov. 9 in Marion County Circuit Court to attempted unlawful use of a weapon and contempt of court. He was sentenced to […]
A former Silverton man who pleaded guilty in June to a local graffiti spree has received high praise after completing community service through Portland Parks & Recreation. Roman Lucian Cunningham, 24, of Portland, agreed to serve 100 hours of community service after pleading guilty June 29 in Marion County Circuit Court to first-degree criminal mischief. He was arrested in December […]
An Aumsville man with a pending kidnapping charge was arrested in Silverton Oct. 25 after a high-speed chase that ended with the suspect hiding in a local resident’s basement. Steele James Davidson, 30, was pursued by police after allegedly contacting the victim of a domestic violence incident for which Davidson was arrested in March. He is charged with second-degree kidnapping […]
By Stephen Floyd A lawsuit against the Oregon Garden Foundation by the owner of the Oregon Garden Resort has been settled after three years of litigation. Parties agreed to terms Aug. 29 during a settlement hearing in Marion County Circuit Court including a financial payout to the foundation and the return of online login credentials. The case was otherwise scheduled […]
By Stephen Floyd A Silverton man has pleaded guilty to attempting to lure minors into sexual acts and similar charges and could face nearly 16 years in prison. Jaiden Ethan Davis, 24, pleaded guilty Sept. 25 in Marion County Circuit Court to attempted first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, first-degree encouraging child sex abuse and four counts of luring a minor. He […]
By Stephen Floyd A Bend woman has been indicted for manslaughter after her three dogs mauled a former Silverton man to death in July. Jessica Rae Charity, 38, was indicted Sept. 15 in Deschutes County Circuit Court for second-degree manslaughter and criminally-negligent homicide for the July 19 death of Joe Keeton, 56. The indictment accused Charity of “unlawfully and recklessly” […]
MAPD arrests man on out-of-state assault warrant A Missouri man wanted for felony assault in his home state has been arrested in Mount Angel and is awaiting potential extradition. Joseph Robert Wood, 44, of Springfrield, Missouri was arrested Aug. 9 by MAPD on a warrant for assault in the third degree of a special victim, allegedly committed in August 2022. […]
By Stephen Floyd Willamette Valley Vineyards (WVV) has sued PacifiCorp for $8.2 million after the 2020 wildfires allegedly caused irreversible damage to the quality of wine grapes throughout the region. The Turner-based business filed suit in Marion County Circuit Court July 24, claiming soot and smoke from the fires tainted a “vast majority” of its 2020 vintages. WVV said it […]
A Silverton man has pleaded guilty to vandalism after a graffiti spree last winter that saw thousands of dollars in damage to local public and private buildings. Roman L. Cunningham, 23, pleaded guilty June 29 to a felony charge of first-degree criminal mischief in Marion County Circuit Court. He is scheduled for sentencing Dec. 11 and, if he complies with […]
A Silverton man arrested in December after leading police on a DUII chase has been sentenced to 90 days in jail in a plea agreement. Michael James Imel, 36, pleaded guilty March 20 Marion County Circuit Court to DUII, reckless driving, resisting arrest, third-degree escape, refusal to take a test for intoxicants and two counts each of attempting to elude […]
By Stephen Floyd Legacy Silverton Medical Center has settled a malpractice lawsuit filed after an alleged faulty wrist surgery from 2019. The hospital and orthopedist Dr. Paul Brewer agreed to pay $137,500 to former patient Jody Mandish after a carpal tunnel procedure led to an alleged nerve injury. Mandish filed suit April 7, 2021, in Marion County Circuit Court for […]
New charges in sex abuse case A Silverton man is facing new charges of possession of child pornography as he prepares to stand trail for alleged sexual abuse in July. Jaiden Ethan Davis, 23, was charged in Marion County Circuit Court Feb. 3 with 10 counts of first-degree encouraging child sex abuse, with each carrying a maximum penalty of 10 […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) has denied liability in a $369,501 personal injury lawsuit by a former Silverton Middle School student who broke a leg at school in 2017 after allegedly slipping on a wet floor. On Dec. 28, 2022, the district admitted the student attended the school during that time, and a tort claim was […]
A Silverton man is facing DUII and multiple other charges after a police chase caught on camera ended with the suspect allegedly crashing into a local resident’s front yard. Michael James Imel, 36, was arrested Wednesday, Dec. 7, after officers with the Silverton Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Imel allegedly fled in his vehicle and drove recklessly […]
By Kristine Thomas Chalk up a victory for the East Valley Water District in its quest to build an irrigation reservoir on the property of Victor Point landowners. On Jan. 5, Marion County Circuit Judge Claudia Burton ruled in favor of the East Valley Water District’s request to be granted permission to go onto the property of Victor Point landowners […]
