Convicted murderer bound over on intimidation charges
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A convicted murderer from Pratt was bound over for trial in Reno County District Court Tuesday for alleged crimes at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility.
24-year-old Charles Denmark-Wagner is charged with solicitation to commit aggravated intimidation of a witness. The state alleges he attempted to get another person to intimidate a witness involving his murder case. He’s also charged with solicitation to commit criminal threat, which means he tried to get that other person to make the threat. According to the criminal complaint, both crimes occurred on Feb. 24.
Troy Robinson, an investigator of crimes within the prison, took the stand and told of two handwritten notes, one of which is believed to have been written by Denmark-Wagner, even though it was found in an area where he doesn’t have access. Robinson says it was signed using a known name that Denmark-Wagner uses in prison, that being “Smoke G.”
In the note, he was asking for help from his prison gang called “Folk Nation.” Apparently he wanted members of the gang to put pressure on Dan Riendeau to recant statements he made involving the murder of 48-year-old Alesia M. Doris-Graham. Denmark-Wagner believed that if Riendeau did, he could possibly get a new trial and possibly be released from prison. Apparently there are members of that gang at the Lansing Correctional Facility where Riendeau is being housed. Denmark-Wagner wanted them to “push up on him,” Robinson said.
Denmark-Wagner is serving life in prison with no chance of parole for 20 years after he entered a plea in a murder case. Riendeau also entered pleas in the case against him and was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison. Graham was murdered in 2008.
County maintenance worker and son busted on marijuana cultivation charges
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A father and son were taken to jail Monday on marijuana cultivation charges. The father, 51-year-old Johnny Lee Payne, worked at the Reno County Courthouse in the maintenance department.
His son, Jonathan Ray Payne, had been charged along with 20-year-old Cole Castle in a distribution case that goes back to July 27.
Jonathan Ray Payne is free on a $10,000 bond for suspicion of cultivating marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia to manufacture, growing and cultivating marijuana and drug paraphernalia to package and store the drug. Jonathan Lee Payne is free on a $7,500 bond for cultivation of marijuana and drug paraphernalia to manufacture, grow marijuana.
Drug Unit Detectives are alleged to have found 12 marijuana plants at the home in the 1500 block of North Monroe.
Cole Castle and Jonathan Ray Payne are charged in the earlier case with distribution of marijuana and conspiracy to distribute marijuana. The state alleges that the two conspired to distribute somewhere between 25 and 450 grams of marijuana. The state says the two arranged to distribute the marijuana using a telephone.
Because the two Paynes have bonded, they should make a first appearance on the new charges early next week.
Suspected drug dealer bound over for trial
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After the state dropped the charges against one of two men arrested in August of last year on drug charges, they refiled the case and Corey Allen Smith was in court Tuesday morning where he was bound over for trial.
Smith is charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana, both with the intent to distribute within a thousand feet of a school, possession of cocaine, possession of hydrocodone, two counts of no drug tax stamp, and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, one with intent to package drugs for sale and the other for personal use.
The felony case against Smith and co-defendant Jamaal Norris centers on a search warrant being served on the home of Norris. During the search, officers say they located a baggie containing suspected marijuana on Norris. They say that, in a bedroom, they found more marijuana and numerous digital scales. They also apparently found cocaine and drug potpourri. There was at least 3.5 grams of cocaine, at least 25 grams of marijuana and at least 25 grams of a controlled substance.
The case against Smith will now move to arraignment next week.