Police and Fire Archives - Page 56 of 208

State asks for 10-year sentence in church theft by former commission chair

Posted at 12:36 pm July 21, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

James Michael Cox

Prosecutors have asked for a 10-year prison sentence for a former Anderson County Commission chair and retired school teacher who has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $60,000 over more than three years from a church in Rocky Top—and allegedly lost more than $37,000 of the stolen money at a casino in North Carolina.

James Michael “Mike” Cox is scheduled to be sentenced in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on Monday.

Through defense attorney Rhonda F. Lee of Powell, Cox has asked for probation.

Cox was indicted on the Class B felony charge of theft of more than $60,000 on February 2, 2016. The thefts were alleged to have occurred from Longfield Baptist Church, where Cox was church treasurer, between June 1, 2011, and December 1, 2014.

Cox entered a guilty plea on June 1, 2017. The minimum sentence is eight years probation, and the maximum is 12 years in prison, according to court documents.

In a notice filed this past Monday, the state outlined enhancing factors that should be considered by Anderson County Criminal Court Judge Donald R. Elledge when he sentences Cox on Monday, July 24. [Read more…]

Benanti gets four life sentences, plus 155 years, in bank extortion, robbery spree

Posted at 8:27 pm July 18, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Police Department at Y-12 Federal Credit Union

The Oak Ridge Police Department responded to a kidnapping and attempted robbery at the Y-12 Federal Credit Union on Lafayette Drive in Oak Ridge on Tuesday morning, April 28, 2015. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Michael Benanti

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced Tuesday to four consecutive life sentences in federal prison, plus an additional 155 years, for his convictions involving a violent bank extortion and robbery spree in four states and several cities, including Oak Ridge and Knoxville, authorities said.

Michael Anthony Benanti, 45, of Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas A. Varlan in Knoxville on Tuesday.

Benanti had been convicted by a jury after a trial in U.S. District Court in February 2017. The jury found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit robbery and armed bank extortion, two counts of attempted armed bank extortion, one count of armed bank extortion, three counts of carjacking, three counts of kidnapping, three counts of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and 10 counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

“Often, severe federal penalties, such as mandatory minimum sentences, are the most effective tool to protect the American public from a violent criminal like Benanti,” U.S. Attorney Nancy Harr said in a press release. “The consecutive sentences received by Benanti for firearms violations ensure he will never again be able to victimize families in East Tennessee or elsewhere. The U.S. Attorney’s office is, and remains committed to, prosecuting these crimes and seeking the highest penalties possible to help keep the American people safe.” [Read more…]

Ohio couple sentenced in fraud conspiracy involving Oak Ridge company

Posted at 1:19 pm July 18, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Photo by U.S. District Court

An Ohio couple was sentenced Friday for their roles in a conspiracy involving an Oak Ridge company, its owners, and more than $350,000 in unauthorized purchases, authorities said.

Christy A. Greider, 40, and Jason A. Greider, 42, both of Huber Heights, Ohio, were sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud by U.S. District Court Judge Pamela L. Reeves. Christy Greider will serve 33 months in federal prison, and Jason Greider will serve 27 months, United States Attorney Nancy Stallard Harr said in a press release.

The Greiders both pleaded guilty in February 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, the press release said. Christy Greider worked as the bookkeeper for M-3 Construction Inc., located in Oak Ridge. She also helped the company’s owners keep track of their personal finances, the press release said. [Read more…]

Cromwell’s motion for new trial is denied

Posted at 4:52 pm July 16, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Lee Harold Cromwell, 67, the Oak Ridge man convicted of vehicular homicide in a fatal parking lot crash at Midtown Community Center after July 4 fireworks two years ago, was sentenced to 12 years in prison during a hearing in Anderson County Criminal Court on Monday, June 19, 2017. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A judge has denied the motion for a new trial for Lee Harold Cromwell, the man convicted of vehicular homicide in a 2015 fireworks crash at Midtown Community Center in Oak Ridge.

Cromwell, 67, was convicted of one count of vehicular homicide and eight counts of aggravated assault after a three-day trial in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton in February. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison in June.

The crash occurred when Cromwell backed his Dodge Ram pickup truck through the crowded parking lot of the Midtown Community Center after fireworks in Oak Ridge on July 4, 2015. The crash killed James Robinson of Knoxville, a husband and father of two young girls, and it injured at least eight others. It’s one of the worst crashes anyone can remember in Oak Ridge.

Cromwell’s motion for a new trial was heard by Senior Judge Paul G. Summers in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on June 27.

Summers denied the motion for a new trial that day. He issued an order July 5.

The case has been appealed to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals in Knoxville. [Read more…]

Crashes with injuries reported in Oak Ridge, Clinton

Posted at 9:51 am July 16, 2017
By John Huotari 1 Comment

A three-car crash was reported at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Florida Avenue on Friday morning, July 14, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A three-car crash with injuries was reported at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Florida Avenue on Friday morning, July 14, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Three crashes with injuries were reported Friday morning in Oak Ridge and Clinton. A University of Tennessee Lifestar medical helicopter was reported to have responded to the crash in Clinton.

The first two-vehicle crash was reported at 9:18 a.m. Friday on Laboratory Road at Bus Terminal Road. One vehicle ended up on its side, trapping the driver, who had to be extricated, or freed from the vehicle. That driver was taken to Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, authorities said.

The second crash was reported sometime around 11 a.m. Friday in the 300 block of Main Street in Clinton. At least two vehicles were reported to have been involved, and Lifestar was reported to have responded. [Read more…]

Updated: Power restored after Saturday afternoon outage

Posted at 1:53 pm July 15, 2017
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Note: This story was updated at 8:50 a.m. July 16.

Power was restored Saturday afternoon after a large outage in central Oak Ridge.

There were reports that some traffic lights were out, and power was reported out at some businesses and homes.

The Oak Ridge Police Department urged drivers to use caution going through intersections in a Nixle alert sent out at 1:21 p.m. Saturday. [Read more…]

Roane State paramedic alumni earn honors

Posted at 11:11 am July 14, 2017
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

Anderson County EMS Director Nathan Sweet, right, presents Lt. Steve Seals, a graduate of Roane State’s paramedic program, with an award naming him the EMS’s “Officer of the Year.” Sweet is also a Roane State paramedic program graduate. (Photo by Roane State)

Graduates of Roane State Community College’s paramedic program continue to distinguish themselves in their professions by earning honors bestowed by peers and supervisors, a press release said.

Two 2005 graduates of the paramedic program were recognized by Anderson County EMS during National EMS Week, held in late May each year.

Lieutenant Steve Seals was named “Officer of the Year,” while Millie Huddleston was recognized as “Paramedic of the Year.”

Co-workers and supervisors nominated them for the recognitions. In those nominations, Seals was described as exemplifying “our core values, including integrity first, service before self, as well as excellence in all we do,” the press release said. [Read more…]

After crash, search, man sentenced on gun charge, woman indicted on drug charges

Posted at 2:54 pm July 13, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Car Crash at Hilltop and West Outer Drive

Police said the driver of this silver Infiniti fled on foot after a three-car crash at North Illinois Avenue and West Outer Drive on Monday night, Sept. 21, 2015, just a few hours after a shooting was reported a short distance away on Wakefield Road. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A man was sentenced on a federal gun charge in September and a woman was indicted on state drug charges in June after a three-car crash reported after a shooting in 2015 led authorities to track a driver to a home in north Oak Ridge, where officers allegedly found 49 grams of suspected heroin and other drugs.

Larry Dewayne Williams of Oak Ridge pleaded guilty to a federal charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on September 26. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Pamela L. Reeves to the minimum seven years in prison, or 84 months.

In June, Chelsey Reign Lively, identified as Williams’ girlfriend in court documents, was indicted on state drug charges of selling, delivering, or possessing heroin for sale; selling, delivering, or possessing for sale more than 14.175 grams of marijuana; and selling, delivering, or possessing ethylone for sale. The Anderson County Grand Jury indicted Lively on June 6, and she was arraigned in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on June 30.

The circumstances of the shooting, reported on Wakefield Road at about 8:30 p.m. Monday, September 21, 2015, remain unclear. No injuries were reported, although three bullets were reported to have hit one home. It’s not clear who the shooter was or if there was more than one person involved. There appeared to be a significant number of rounds fired. Investigating that night, Oak Ridge Police Department Detective Kevin Craig documented 21 casings.

About two hours after that shooting was reported, Oak Ridge Police Department Officer James Elkins tried to stop a silver Infiniti sedan that was reported to be involved in the shooting, according to court documents. But the silver Infiniti fled, ran a red light, and caused a three-car crash at West Outer Drive and North Illinois Avenue in north Oak Ridge, the court documents said. The Infiniti rolled onto its side and burst into flames, and Williams, identified as the driver, climbed out of the car and ran into the woods, according to his plea agreement. [Read more…]

Negligence lawsuit of up to $10.5 million filed in car-trailer crash

Posted at 5:51 pm July 10, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Car-Trailer-Crash-Emory-Valley-Road-Sept-2-2016-1-Web

The crash between a car and trailer with a skid steer loader on it on Emory Valley Road on Friday evening, Sept. 2, 2016, happened after the trailer came loose from a truck hitch and crossed into an oncoming lane, where it hit the car, authorities said. It took firefighters and rescuers about 55 minutes to free the female driver pinned inside the car, and they used a tow truck to help lift the trailer and loader to take weight off the woman. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A negligence lawsuit of up to $10.5 million was filed last month after a September 2 crash between a car and a trailer carrying a skid steer loader injured an Oak Ridge woman and pinned her inside her car for almost an hour before rescuers were able to free her and fly her to a trauma center in Knoxville.

Arminda “Mindy” Carter, a nurse who lives in Oak Ridge, was driving west on Emory Valley Road in her 2010 Toyota Camry at about 5:29 p.m. September 2, headed to her job at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, according to the legal complaint, which was filed in Anderson County Circuit Court in Clinton on June 2.

Headed the other way, toward the Oak Ridge Marina, was an eastbound 1994 GMC dump truck driven by Gerald D. Cureton, 71, of Knoxville. He was pulling a trailer with a CASE skid steer loader that weighed about 6,000 pounds, the complaint said.

As the two vehicles approached the intersection of Emory Valley Road and Carnegie Drive in east Oak Ridge, the trailer with the loader on it came off the hitch of the dump truck driven by Cureton, the complaint said.

“Once detached from the dump truck, the trailer and skid steer then crossed into the westbound lane of travel, where it violently collided with the plaintiff’s vehicle (the Camry driven by Carter),” the June 2 lawsuit said. “The trailer and skid steer came to rest on top of the plaintiff’s vehicle, leaving her trapped under its weight for nearly an hour as rescue workers scrambled to free her.”

The trailer carrying the skid steer loader did not have operational brakes or adequate safety chains, a violation of state law, according to the lawsuit. [Read more…]

Emergency preparedness exercise at Bull Run on Wednesday

Posted at 1:51 pm July 10, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton is pictured above. (File photo)

Emergency responders from state and local agencies will join Tennessee Valley Authority personnel in an emergency preparedness exercise involving the Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton on Wednesday, July 12.

The exercise is part of an ongoing series of training drills and exercises at TVA plants across the service area, a press release said.

“The exercise will involve personnel working in multiple locations, including at and near the plant,” the press release said. “Residents may see increased vehicle traffic and may hear on- and off-site sirens briefly activated.”

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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Child passenger seat checkpoint scheduled for Saturday

Posted at 9:50 pm July 7, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital are hosting three more child passenger seat checkpoints this year. The next event is scheduled for Saturday, July 8.

These events are held for parents and caregivers to receive educational material about car seats, have their car seats checked for any manufacturer recalls, and have the seats examined for proper installation. The child passenger seat checkpoints are free and open to the public.

All events will be held at Oak Ridge Fire Station #2, 609 Oak Ridge Turnpike (near Home Depot), from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. The remaining dates are as follows: [Read more…]

Roane State adjunct instructor honored for saving infant last year

Posted at 3:50 pm July 4, 2017
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

Roane State adjunct professor Jason Fox, right, is pictured with Capt. Joseph Cate, also with the Morristown-Hamblen EMS, as they receive the statewide “Star of Life” award for reviving an infant. (Photo by Roane State)

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

A Roane State Community College adjunct instructor at the college’s Knox County Center for Health Sciences put his extensive training to use to save the life of a just born, premature infant who had stopped breathing and had no pulse.

For his actions, which he said were a “combination of training, instinct and a miracle,” Jason Fox received a statewide award titled the “Star of Life.”

Fox, who has been with Roane State for a year, is also a lieutenant with the Morristown-Hamblen EMS. He is credited, along with Morristown-Hamblen County EMS’ Captain Joseph Cate, for reviving the infant—who was three months premature when he was born at home.

“We asked what the baby’s name was and told her (mother Kellie Henrikson) that we would do everything in our power to save his life,” Fox said. The EMS professionals used cardiopulmonary resuscitation to revive Tanner Enix after the infant hadn’t been breathing for 11 minutes. [Read more…]

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