Public records
By Other
Published in News on December 22, 2004 2:00 PM
Mistrial declared
in house burning
The Wayne County Superior Court trial of a man accused of burning down his home for insurance money ended Tuesday with a divided jury.
The defendant, Kent Peter Larsen, 67, of Daughtry Lane, Pikeville, will have to wait until next year to learn his fate.
Judge Kenneth Crow of New Bern declared a mistrial when the jury said it was deadlocked without the possibility of reaching a unanimous decision.
The first jury vote was said to be 6-6, and the second was reported as 7-5.
Larsen, a flight instructor, was accused of burning his home last September, at about the time of Hurricane Isabel. He was charged with fraudulent burning of a dwelling and insurance fraud.
Patetown Volunteer Fire Chief John Gardner said the burn pattern at the home appeared to be suspicious. One of his volunteer firefighters, Wayne County Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Shawn Harris, a certified fire inspector, agreed with Gardner.
Gardner and Harris then called the State Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent John Rea continued an investigation of the fire.
Gardner, Harris and Rea testified during the six-day trial.
Assistant District Attorney Chrissy Mason prosecuted the case.
Defense lawyer Geoff Hulse of Goldsboro did not call any witnesses.
The trial had been started once before, but it was stopped before a jury was impaneled because witnesses were not available.
Drug charges
Nine men have been arrested by Wayne County authorities and charged with felony drug offenses.
Six Goldsboro men were arrested Tuesday by the Goldsboro-Wayne County Drug Squad and charged with three felony drug offenses at an apartment in the 1000 block of Devereaux Street.
The six men were charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and conspiracy to sell cocaine and marijuana. Each was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of secured bonds. They were:
*Altron Hayes, 21, Eason Street, $50,000 bond.
*Demario Remain Young, 18, Johnson Lane, $50,000 bond.
*Terrell Coleman, 20, DuPont Circle, $70,000 bond.
*Fremandeus Connell Williams, 25, Devereaux Street, $70,500 bond; also held on outstanding arrest order for resisting arrest.
*Jesse Mars, 23, Brazil Avenue, $70,000 bond.
*Laccota Deroe Woods, 26, South Slocumb Street, $70,000 bond.
A seventh man, Moses Barnes, 50, of Wayne Avenue was arrested Tuesday by Goldsboro police in another apartment on Devereaux Street and charged with felony possession of cocaine. He was jailed in lieu of a $1,500 secured bond.
An eighth man, Emanuel T. Johnson, 27, of South Kornegay Street, was arrested Tuesday by the drug squad and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of using marijuana. He was jailed in lieu of a $3,000 secured bond. Goldsboro-Wayne County Crime Stoppers assisted in the investigation.
The Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Team of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office on Monday arrested Donshea M. Phillips, 21, of Courtyard Circle. He was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver crack cocaine. He was jailed in lieu of a $5,000 secured bond.
Fraud
A 23-year-old Goldsboro man was arrested Tuesday by Goldsboro police and charged with credit card fraud.
Juan Jose Ochoa-Hernandez of Central Heights Road was accused of trying to buy new vehicles, valued at $70,700, from Toyota of Goldsboro, police said.
Ochoa-Hernandez was charged with three counts of felony financial transaction card fraud. He was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $36,500 secured bond.
Robbery
A 24-year-old Goldsboro woman was arrested Tuesday by the Goldsboro-Wayne County Drug Squad and charged with armed robbery and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
Latoya Speight of 11th Street was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $56,000 secured bond. She was accused Nov. 22 of robbing a resident in the 300 block of West Grantham Street, Investigator Seth Harris said. Goldsboro-Wayne County Crime Stoppers assisted in the arrest.
Investigations
Wayne County sheriff's deputies are investigating these reports:
*While Seven Springs volunteer firefighters responded to a fire call Tuesday, someone stole a combination facsimile machine, copier, printer and scanner and two pagers from their building, sheriff's deputies said. The thief also had damaged a desk. The stolen property was valued at $1,800. Damage was set at $500.
*Christmas gifts, a television, a video cassette recorder and two watches were stolen Tuesday after a door was damaged in a home in the 300 block of Outlaw Road, deputies said. The resident, Katrina Whaley, estimated the value of the stolen property at $1,055 and damage at $250.
Goldsboro police are investigating these reports:
*A video camera, 30 DVD movies, 22 video tapes, 12 compact discs, a DVD player and a video cassette recorder were stolen Tuesday from an apartment in the 800 block of Carver Drive, police said. The resident, E.M. Daniels, said the stolen property was worth $1,265.
*A red Big Max scooter was stolen Tuesday from a back porch in the 200 block of Johnson Lane, police said. The scooter, owned by Brandon M. Young, was valued at $2,800.