Convenience Store formally charged on drug and theft charges
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A local convenience store owner arrested just over a week ago, Chris Patel, still has yet to make a court appearance.
He was scheduled to be in court Monday for the reading of charges against him, but Magistrate Judge Randy McEwen announced in court that local attorney Ben Fisher has entered his appearance and will represent Patel. They waived the reading of the formal charges. That means his case will be moved to a waiver-status docket in front of Judge Joe McCarville on July 8.
We did get a copy of the formal complaint and, according to that complaint, the state has charged him with possession of synthetic marijuana with intent to sell within a thousand feet of Hutchinson Middle School 7. This allegedly occurred on May 22. He’s also charged with possession of stolen property. That crime, according to the complaint, occurred between April 6 and May 12, 2015.
Patel was arrested after officers with the Hutchinson Police Department conducted search warrants with the cooperation of Kroger Corporation.
The investigation revealed that Patel, who owns the Zip Trip located at Ave A & Poplar, was purchasing what he believed to be stolen goods from a member of Kroger’s organized retail crime unit. The stolen goods were then allegedly placed on the store’s shelves for retail sale. During the execution of the search warrants, 162 grams of K-2, 14 grams of marijuana and some of the goods Patel purchased were recovered.
Man charged after high-speed chase in jail in Sedgwick County
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 23-year-old Hutchinson man who served time for a drug distribution case was scheduled for court to be arraigned in his latest case.
However, Antonio Cordero was not in court because he’s apparently in jail in Sedgwick County. He was apparently paroled in the drug case, but according to the Department of Corrections website, they have a warrant for his arrest. Judge Tim Chambers also ordered a warrant or hold on the Reno County case, so if he’s released from Sedgwick County, he should immediately be brought to Reno County.
Cordero is charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana with a prior conviction, felony flee and elude, possession of personal use drug paraphernalia, driving under the influence of alcohol and no valid driver’s license.
He was allegedly on the motorcycle when police tried to stop him leading to a high-speed chase that ended in Countryside where he crashed the bike. He was taken to the ICU unit of Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. The chase started around 4 a.m. on July 13, 2014, and lasted only a few minutes.
Cordero was convicted for possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana with intent to sell or distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to package, and two counts of no drug tax stamp. That case going back to Dec. 29, 2011.
No decision made over civil filing of convicted rapist
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After two days of testimony and arguments, no decision was made last week over whether a civil motion filed by a 37-year-old man serving time for raping a 13 year old should be granted.
Cornelio Salazar-Moreno was back before the court over his civil filing seeking relief from his sentence.
He was convicted of rape, two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and adultery. The crimes occurred in late 2007 and early 2008. At the time of the crimes, the victim was 13 years old and Salazar-Moreno was 30.
Salazar-Moreno was ultimately sentenced to three concurrent life sentences under Jessica’s Law.
In his appeals, Salazar-Moreno had claimed trial error in the admission of evidence and failure to grant several mistrial motions. Those claims were rejected by the Kansas Court of Appeals and the verdicts were upheld.
He filed a habeas corpus motion last year and the hearing on that motion, which was heard in front of Judge Trish Rose.
After the two-day hearing, Judge Rose asked the attorney’s on both sides to submit written arguments after preparation of the transcript. She tells us, that in all, it will be about 3 months before it is completely submitted to her to consider. She’ll then issue a written opinion on the matter.