National Roundup

Virginia
Warrant: Jail superintendent used inmate for work at his house
STAUNTON, Va. (AP) — Records show the former superintendent of a Virginia jail is under investigation for using an inmate for work at his home and lying to investigators.

The Staunton News-Leader reports Middle River Regional Jail Superintendent Jack Lee was fired in December over the jail’s authority board’s concerns about the facility’s administration.

A search warrant unsealed March 21 says a GPS unit revealed an inmate on home electronic monitoring with work release privileges was at Lee’s home 23 times between November 2017 and May 2018. GPS monitoring also placed the inmate at Lee’s daughter’s home.

Lee told investigators the inmate worked for a contractor he hired, but that contractor said Lee had him falsify invoices.

Lee denied any wrongdoing to the newspaper. Prosecutor Tim Martin says no charges have yet been filed.

Utah
Family suffers extreme stalking through barrage of service calls
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah family has become the victim of extreme stalking involving unwanted service providers repeatedly being sent to their home, according to the homeowner and police.

Walt Gilmore’s family in suburban Salt Lake City has been the target since August of a stalker using phone calls and texts to send a parade of people to the home for legitimate services and illegal activities, the Deseret News reported Friday.
Up to 20 people per day arrive saying they were called to provide electrical, plumbing, tree-trimming, and towing services, according to Gilmore, who said some are seeking illegitimate business.

“They have police records. Criminals. Felons. Active warrants for their arrests coming to my home. They’re looking for drugs. They’re offering prostitution,” Gilmore said. “And it’s pretty concerning to me, my family, and my entire neighborhood that these folks are there.”

The person responsible may be using a computer program to make calls, and texts appear to originate from another number, making them nearly impossible to trace, according to police, who say they are now using voice recognition software.

“It’s pretty vindictive in what they’re doing,” North Salt Lake Police Sgt. Mitch Gwilliam said. “Stalking is stalking. But this is stalking on steroids. It’s pretty vicious.”

Police estimate the combined loss to companies is more than $20,000 in wages and uncollected fees.

Gilmore said they have taken out a civil stalking injunction against the person they believe is responsible. Court records indicate the man named in the injunction lives in Hawaii.

Louisiana
Man wants to move trial from courthouse with rebel monument
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A black man has asked a Louisiana appeals court to move his trial from a courthouse with a Confederate statue outside.

The Advocate reported an attorney for 39-year-old Ronnie Anderson of Plaquemine has asked an appeals court to move the weapons violation trial from the East Feliciana Parish Courthouse in Clinton. There is a 30-foot (9-meter) high Confederate statue outside the building.

Anderson faced the weapons charge after a 2017 traffic stop.

A district court judge in November rejected Anderson’s request to move the trial because of the monument. His attorney, Niles Haymer, said the monument is intimidating and a reminder of the way African Americans were treated during slavery and the Jim Crow Era of racial discrimination.

Haymer is also asking that the charge be dismissed.

New York
Man arrested in reputed crime boss killing
NEW YORK (AP) — A man accused of killing the reputed boss of New York’s Gambino crime family has been arrested ahead of a court appearance.

The New York Police Department says Anthony Comello was booked on murder, assault and weapon possession charges at around 4 a.m. on Monday.

Comello, who’s 24, is accused of gunning down Francesco “Franky Boy” Cali outside the mobster’s Staten Island home.

He was initially taken into custody in New Jersey and agreed on March 18 to be extradited to New York.

Authorities say the March 13 slaying may have been related to a romantic dispute instead of mob business.

Comello’s attorney has said he’ll fight the charges. Robert Gottlieb says the accusations contradict the characterizations of people who know Comello best.

Maryland
Facebook Live post nets wiretapping guilty plea for student
TOWSON, Md. (AP) — A Maryland university student has pleaded guilty to illegally wiretapping a congressional staffer and putting the conversation on Facebook Live without consent.

The state prosecutor’s office said Monday a plea agreement was reached with Jake Burdett, a Salisbury University student. Under the agreement, Burdett will receive probation before judgment and 100 hours of community service.

Prosecutors say Burdett, a 21-year-old advocate for Maryland Marijuana Justice, took part in a rally in front of Rep. Andy Harris’ office in Salisbury, Maryland, in October. Then he and others met with a member of the congressman’s staff in his office.

Harris’ staff told the group not to record the meeting, citing office policy, but prosecutors say Burdett recorded and streamed it on Facebook Live without the staffer’s consent.

Ohio
Prosecutor wants execution date for prison killing
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A prosecutor is seeking an execution date for a death row inmate convicted of killing a 17-year-old prisoner in a race-related slaying.

Madison County Prosecutor Stephen Pronai (proh-NEYE’) says condemned prisoner John Stojetz (STOH’-yets) has exhausted all his legal options and is also not part of a bigger lawsuit challenging Ohio’s lethal injection method.

The 63-year-old Stojetz was convicted of stabbing to death 17-year-old Damico Watkins at Madison Correctional Institution on April 25, 1996.

Court records say Stojetz and five other adult inmates, all members of the Aryan Brotherhood, attacked Watkins after saying they refused to be housed with black inmates. Stojetz is white and Watkins was black.

Pronai on Friday asked the Ohio Supreme Court to set a date. Stojetz’ attorneys are expected to oppose the request.