Hutch man sentenced Friday in child sex case
HUTCHINSON, Kan. – A 25-year-old Hutchinson man convicted on child sex charges was 
sentenced Friday afternoon to around 21-years in prison.
Michael Wayne Stahl entered pleas to four counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, two counts of electronic solicitation, one count of attempted indecent liberties with a child and exploitation of a child. Judge Trish Rose followed the two sides recommendation for running all of the counts concurrent to each other, then asking for a departure from Jessica’s Law to the regular sentencing grid as level-1 person felonies with a total sentence of around 21-years. He was looking at multiple life sentences under Jessica’s Law which would not allow him parole for at least 25 years on each count.
Stahl had communicated with two 13-year-old girls through Facebook and also by text. That apparently led to him meeting the girls, followed by the sexual encounters.
Police became involved in the case when two reports were made to them and a detective started communicating with Stahl. He posed as a 14-year-old girl. That led to Stahl showing up at an abandoned residence where he thought he was meeting the 14-year-old, but met police instead.
After his arrest in October, he apparently admitted that he inappropriately touched the girls. The crimes occurred in September and October of last year.
He will be on lifetime post release supervision, once he’s released from prison.
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Hutch man bound over in one case, reinstated on corrections on another
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 22-year-old Hutchinson man was allowed to stay on community corrections Friday even though he was bound over for trial in another case on Thursday.
William Hickey was bound over on a charge of aggravated assault after he pulled a knife on his father back in June. Hutchinson police were called to the scene on the report of a 
disturbance and discovered that Hickey had threatened his father with a black pocket knife.
He has been on corrections for aggravated endangerment of a child in one case and attempted criminal threat in another. He was given one year on community corrections in the case with an underlying sentence of one year, six months in prison. The state sought to have the sentence served in the case saying that he is a “multiple violent offender,” however his attorney told the court that he applied and was accepted to a program called “Teen Challenge.”
Judge Tim Chambers sided with the defense in placing him back on community corrections, but with the stipulation that he serve 60-days in the county jail and then complete the “Teen Challenge” program.
It was back on June 13, 2013, when Hickey reportedly tortured or cruelly beat a 1-year-old child. The child sustained injuries to her face and also her bottom. In the other case he had been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for threatening his father with a knife. He was also charged with criminal threat for the same incident, which occurred May 17, 2012. He then entered a plea to the reduced charges and was granted corrections.
With him being bound over for trial in the latest case against him, he’ll be arraigned in that case early next month.
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Community Corrections granted in three cases, two involving drugs
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 33-year-old Hutchinson man who entered pleas in two felony drugs cases and a misdemeanor case was sentenced Friday to a total of nearly 5-years or 57-months in prison, but then granted one year and six months on community corrections. That was the decision of Judge Tim Chambers after he found Shane Kinast was eligible for a border box finding.
Deputy District Attorney Tom Stanton wanted a prison sanction while his attorney Shaun Lautz asked for the border box finding and community corrections. There was some question as to whether Kinast has an alcohol or drug addiction problem and apparently he had a drug and alcohol evaluation in the past couple of weeks that shows he’s in need of treatment. But, Kinast has passed all of his drug test over the past year.
It was on July 17, 2013, when the Reno County Drug Unit served a search warrant on a home at 1016 N. Van Buren and he was arrested along with Dwayne Porting and Elisha Bozarth.
Officers allegedly found a bag on the couch of the home on Van Buren that contained a small zip-lock bag with a crystal substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine. Also in the bag were more zip-lock bags and a digital scale.
He was also convicted of interference with law enforcement and possession of methamphetamine in two separate cases.
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‘No Contest’ plea entered by defendant in stabbing case
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A Hutchinson man who is believed to have played a minor role in an 
attempted murder case entered a “no contest” plea to a single count of interference with law enforcement.
Sean Arevalo-Mendoza had been accused of aggravated burglary and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery, but entered the plea to the single count instead. He didn’t admit, but didn’t contest the charged that he gave false information to police detective Tyson Meyers during the investigation in the case.
The case involves six men going to the home of Jeffrey Payne back on February 18, 2013, forcing their way into his home and beating, then stabbing him 23 times. Payne nearly died from his wounds. Although at the home the night of the incident, Arevalo-Mendoza didn’t enter the actual home, nor did he participate in the attack.
Judge Tim Chambers took the plea with which came from an agreement made Matt Ricke, a special prosecutor in the case and Defense Attorney Ben Fisher. Ricke from the Kingman County Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case because of some sort of conflict with the local DA’s office.
Arevalo-Mendoza will be sentenced on October 24. The charge is a level 9 felony with a sentencing range of 5 to 17 months in prison. It’s believed that he has no other priors meaning who has a good shot at a non-prison sanction. He was the last one to either enter a plea of convicted by a jury.
John Cantu who entered a plea to a reduced charge of conspiracy to commit aggravated battery. He was sentenced to nearly three and half years in prison. Jordon LeShore was sentenced to six years in prison, while his brother, Joseph LeShore was sentenced to eight years, three months, Troy Bell was sentenced to four and a half years, and Desmund Cantu is serving seven years. None of these men received any type of probation.