National Roundup

Maryland
Man who stabbed a father 89 times sentenced to life
ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — A man who killed a Maryland father of two by stabbing him 89 times has been sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.

Mauricio Morales-Caceres was sentenced Friday in Montgomery County.

He killed 36-year-old Oscar Navarro in a gruesome attack at a Silver Spring town house in December 2014. He cut out the victim’s liver and left it on his chest.

Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Mary Beth McCormick described the killer as “the worst of the worst.”

Prosecutors say the 24-year-old committed the crime as a way to rise within the ranks of the gang MS-13. They say around the time of the killing, he got a tattoo that was reserved for MS-13 gang members of a certain rank.

Oregon
Judge denies venue change in refuge case
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The upcoming trial for Ammon Bundy and others charged in the occupation of an Oregon bird sanctuary will remain in Portland.

Bundy co-defendant Jason Patrick sought to have the September trial moved, citing extensive media coverage he considered prejudicial.

In denying the motion, U.S. District Court Judge Anna J. Brown agreed coverage has been extensive, but said it has been factual in nature and not so overwhelming that a sufficient number of potential jurors could not be impartial.

“Although Patrick contends much of the media coverage was prejudicial and included statements by many of the defendants that amounted to the functional equivalent of a confession, he does not reference any such occurrences,” the judge said in a ruling released during the weekend.

Moreover, Brown said the news coverage with the greatest potential for prejudice occurred during the standoff that began Jan. 2 and lasted nearly six weeks. With the trial scheduled to start in September, the events are not as fresh in the minds of potential jurors.

Patrick is among 26 defendants indicted on a charge of conspiring to impede Interior Department employees from doing their jobs at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Seven men have already pleaded guilty.

The occupiers took over the refuge after a rally in which they demanded the release of two ranchers imprisoned for setting fires. They also wanted the federal government to relinquish control of public lands.

The standoff brought national attention to sparsely populated southeast Oregon, and Patrick’s motion notes that a Google search for the terms “Bundy standoff” and “Oregon standoff” yields thousands of results.

At prior court hearings, it’s been suggested the defendants might have better luck with jurors who are not from liberal Portland. Brown’s ruling points out that the court issued jury summonses to 1,500 registered voters from across Oregon, not just Portland.

Massachusetts
Alleged threats made to ­Pokemon convention
BOSTON (AP) — Two Iowa men accused of making online threats against people attending the Pokemon World Championships in Boston last year are due in court on weapons charges.

Kevin Norton, of Ames, and James Stumbo, of Boone, are expected in court Monday afternoon.

Authorities say the men made online threats before driving 25 hours to Boston to attend the convention last August. They were arrested while registering for the event. Prosecutors say they had a shotgun, a rifle and ammunition in their car.
Before the event, Stumbo allegedly posted a photo of a car with two long guns crossed over the trunk with the caption: “Kevin Norton and I are ready for worlds Boston here we come!!!”

The men’s lawyers have said their comments were just idle online chatter.

Maine
Man charged in 36-year-old cold case back in court
BANGOR, Maine (AP) — A man charged with killing a Maine teenager 36 years ago is back in court.

Philip Scott Fournier was due in court in Bangor on Monday for a hearing in which prosecutors were seeking to revoke bail. It’s the resumption of a bail hearing that began in June.

The 55-year-old Fournier has been jailed since his March arrest in the slaying of 16-year-old Joyce McLain of East Millinocket, who disappeared while jogging.

Fournier, who pleaded not guilty, was identified as a person of interest in Joyce’s death when he was sentenced in 2009 to prison for possession of child pornography.

Prosecutors say Fournier changed his story many times over the years. His lawyer has said there’s a lack of physical evidence.

Illinois
Judge gives Ohio man life sentence for child porn
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A federal judge in Illinois has sentenced an Ohio man to life in prison for having millions of files depicting the sexual exploitation of children.

Federal prosecutors say U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce in Urbana sentenced 36-year-old Jason Gmoser of Hamilton, Ohio, on Friday. Jurors in Urbana convicted Gmoser in February. In addition to the life term the judge also gave Gmoser 50 years for conspiring to advertise and distribute child pornography.

Federal officials say Gmoser was arrested in October 2014 when a court-authorized search of his home found the files. Prosecutors say he operated via a members-only website that allowed him to post thousands of messages containing the images. Prosecutors described the website as a “highly-sophisticated global enterprise.” They say users employed advanced technology to evade law enforcement.

Ohio
Woman pleads guilty in case of fatally beaten boy
HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) — A woman faces up to three years in prison after pleading guilty to obstructing justice in the fatal beating of a 5-year-old boy at an Ohio motel.

Fifty-six-year-old Ramona Bostian changed her plea in a Hamilton courtroom Monday. Other charges, including endangering children, were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

The Hamilton-Middletown Journal-News reports that she’s scheduled for sentencing Aug. 22. A message seeking comment was left with her attorney.

Alexander Stephens died from his injuries April 29 after police found him and his injured 6-year-old brother at the Parkway Inn in Middletown.

Alexander’s mother, Theresa Hawkins-Stephens, and 29-year-old Rachel Bostian — Ramona Bostian’s daughter — are charged with murder, five counts of felony endangering children and two counts of kidnapping. Both have pleaded not guilty.