A man suffered “serious internal injuries” in an alcohol-fueled assault in the dry Western Alaska village of Emmonak, authorities say.

According to an online dispatch from Alaska State Troopers, 23-year-old Doran Jennings, 21-year-old Jereith Jimmy and 23-year-old Karl Kelly had been drinking home-brew alcohol before they left the residence they were in, went next door and “assaulted the male occupant using a metal crowbar.”

Jennings then reportedly pulled out a handgun, held it to the head of the man just assaulted and threatened to kill him, troopers wrote. The male victim was later flown to Bethel for treatment.

Jennings then walked over to his sister and also physically assaulted her before holding the gun to her head and saying he would kill her and her two children if she called police. Jennings fired four rounds from the handgun, troopers said, and the bullets struck a wall near his sister. All three suspects then left the home.

AST located Jennings and Jimmy, and they were taken into custody after brief struggles. A trooper and Jennings received minor injuries in Jennings’ arrest. Kelly was located later and also taken into custody. All three will be transported to the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center, according to AST spokesman Tim DeSpain.

Emmonak banned the sale, importation and possession of alcohol in the early ’90s.

A man was arrested Wednesday after authorities reported seeing him throw a bag of suspected contraband over a fence at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.

Investigators with the Alaska State Troopers Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit reported seeing 28-year-old Kevin Sathre throw something over the fence of the south side yard of the jail around noon Wednesday.

Sathre then fled on foot down Fifth Avenue, disrupting traffic, before being subdued with a Taser and arrested, according to a dispatch from troopers.

The investigation revealed Sathre threw 11 grams of marijuana and 10 grams of tobacco into the yard, according to AST spokesman Tim Despain. The investigation continues, and authorities have not yet identified a recipient of the contraband.

According to troopers, Sathre was taken back to the Anchorage jail and held on charges of first- and second-degree promoting contraband, fifth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance and resisting arrest.

Bail was set at $5,000 cash with an additional $1,500 performance bond.

The man accused of stabbing another man in an East Anchorage trailer Friday afternoon was arraigned Sunday in Anchorage.

Kevin Campbell, 41, was taken into custody Saturday after the Anchorage Police Department couldn’t locate him at the scene Friday. Police say “a tip from an observant citizen” led to his arrest.

Court documents show that on Friday, Campbell — a registered sex offender — was not supposed to be in the trailer on Boniface Parkway, where the mother of his children lives, according to charging documents. Campbell was not supposed to have any contact with the woman, police say. Court documents indicate the woman told police that Campbell moved out of the trailer at the end of January.

Just after 3 p.m. Friday, the woman ran to her neighbor’s trailer to report that her boyfriend had been stabbed by Campbell, charging documents say. The APD officer who responded to the call found a bloody “broken bottle neck” near the trailer door and the victim inside “holding a shirt against the left side of his neck.”

The victim told APD that he’d gotten into a fight with the suspect when he tried to push Campbell out of the house, charging documents say.

“[The victim] indicated he did not like Campbell because he has hit [the woman] in the past and he did not like the way he was talking to her today,” court documents say.

The victim also told police that Campbell “had the bottle in his band” and indicated that Campbell stabbed him with it. The woman at the scene also told APD that she saw Campbell hitting the victim “with something that was made out of glass.”

The victim suffered a “large cut” on his neck, approximately 2 inches in length and less than an inch deep, charging documents say.

Just before 10:30 a.m. Saturday, police found Campbell at the McDonald’s located near the intersection of Northern Lights Boulevard and Muldoon Road. When officers searched Campbell, court documents show they found “a small glass jar of white powder” in his sweatshirt. The substance tested positive for cocaine, documents say.

Campbell was transported to the Anchorage Jail and has been formally charged with first-degree assault and with violating conditions of release for failing to register as a sex offender.

An Alaska State Trooper car chase ended with a suspect hiding in a cottonwood tree Monday.

Troopers first spotted 38-year-old Jason Rose driving a blue Jeep Cherokee along the Palmer-Wasilla Highway around 5:30 p.m. Rose had three outstanding warrants for his arrest, and when troopers tried to pull him over he fled, leading troopers on a car chase along Bogard Road that reached 80 mph, according to an online dispatch.

Rose abandoned the Jeep at a home on Tait Drive and fled on foot into nearby woods. A Wasilla Police Department K-9 unit was called in to find Rose, along with a K-9 Marshal. After a short search, the team found Rose “halfway up a cottonwood tree,” the dispatch says.

Rose was arrested, taken to the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility and charged with driving with a revoked license and first-degree failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer. He was also held on bail for the original warrants of first-degree failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer, driving with a revoked license, first-degree vehicle theft, reckless driving and weapons misconduct. Bail was set at a total of $25,000, according to troopers.

Courtesy Anchorage Police Department/First National Bank of Alaska

An Anchorage man was sentenced to 9 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to robbing a local bank and threatening a bank teller with a gun.

James Surrells, 44, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline to serve 108 months in prison for robbing the First National Bank of Alaska on Northern Lights Boulevard on Aug. 13, 2014. He pleaded guilty to the crime in September, according to court documents.

As part of his plea agreement, Surrells admitted to using a gun during the robbery. According to a statement from the Alaska District Attorney’s office, “Surrells showed [the teller] the butt of his handgun, which caused her to fear that he would kill or physically harm her if she did not comply with his demands,” resulting in his escaping the bank with $1,210. Judge Beistline ordered Surrells to pay that amount to FNBA in restitution.

The man wanted after leading Alaska State Troopers on a chase Saturday that started in Soldotna and spanned multiple highways has been taken into custody.

On Wednesday at 10:45 a.m., the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force located 32-year-old Andre Morris Tanner inside a parked car at Knik Goose Bay Road and Fairview Loop in Wasilla. Tanner was the passenger in the vehicle, according to an AST dispatch posted Wednesday. The driver of the vehicle was 35-year-old Anchorage resident Melissa Bradley.

Tanner initially failed to comply with commands from authorities, troopers say but was eventually taken into custody.

He had a wrist injury prior to arrest, AST says, and was transported to Mat-Su Regional Hospital. He was later transported to Mat-Su Pretrial Facility on his outstanding warrant for violation of parole. He also faces charges of first-degree forgery and second-degree theft, among other charges, troopers say.

The driver of the vehicle troopers found Tanner in was also arrested for first-degree hindering prosecution, AST says.

Saturday, troopers say Tanner gave a false name when he was approached near the Centennial Lake area in Kasilof. Tanner, who was driving a silver Honda Civic at the time, appeared to be “under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” AST says.

After speeding from the parking lot, Tanner eluded authorities multiple times before fleeing on foot into a wooded area near Mile 49 of the Seward Highway. AST issued a Wanted Bulletin after authorities’ searches for Tanner were initially unsuccessful.

An Anchorage jury has convicted three men of a 2012 home invasion that seriously injured a resident inside.

State prosecutors say 28-year-old Richard Arlen Erdman, 26-year-old Taylor Ross Smith and 21-year-old James Earl Smith were convicted of robbery, burglary, felony assault and theft.

Prosecutors say the three and an unidentified fourth man on Aug. 9, 2012, broke into a home, assaulted a man, stole the occupants’ belongings and fled.

Police received several 911 calls and stopped a suspect car. Three men inside fled on foot.

The three men were indicted in January 2013.

James Smith is scheduled for sentencing June 12. Sentencing has not been set for Erdman and Taylor Smith.

Prosecutors say a first-degree robbery conviction carries a sentence of up to 20 years.

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

A female was taken to the hospital after she sustained a gunshot wound on a downtown Anchorage sidewalk, police say.

Just after 3 a.m. Sunday, the Anchorage Police Department responded to calls that multiple shots had been fired downtown. Police say they found the female injured near the intersection of Fourth Avenue and D Street.

The female was walking down the street from another bar downtown when she was ”hit in the lower extremities area,” said APD Sgt. Bianca Cross.

The female was transported to the hospital, Cross said. The extent of her injuries is unknown at this time. There was no suspect taken into custody.

“Most of the callers that we had said it appeared that it came from a vehicle or they did not know,” said Cross. “So at this time, we’re trying to determine if there is a vehicle involved.”

Cross says the act of violence could have been random.

“According to the female we spoke with, she does not know who this was done by or why it happened,” she said.

Police are encouraging anyone with information on this incident to contact APD at at 786-8900.

Police have charged a 32-year-old man with murder in the fatal shooting incident in Eagle River that left one woman dead inside a car.

The Anchorage Police Department have charged James Andrew Baker with first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree attempted murder and one count of third-degree assault in connection with the incident, which appears to have occurred in the early-morning hours on Sunday.

Multiple calls to police reported three suspicious individuals walking along Eagle River Road, and a person with a gunshot wound seeking assistance at a nearby home. Police were led to a tan 2000 Dodge Intrepid through witness statements, found on Barclay Drive at the Top of Mile High Road, according to a statement from APD. Inside was a woman who police say died of an apparent gunshot wound, according to court documents.

“The female who was found deceased inside the vehicle has been identified as 56-year-old June Mary McCarr,” police said, adding that her next-of-kin have been notified.

Multiple shell casings were found inside the car, and two other occupants of the vehicle were struck by bullets as well, APD says. They have been identified as 24-year-old Roy Boswell and 31-year-old Kurtis Reed. Both were transported to the hospital in critical condition. As of 9 p.m. Sunday, their conditions were stable. The two other occupants were Samuel Davis and Alexandria Ewan, who were questioned by police as witnesses.

All but one of the witnesses was able to identify the shooter, who was known by most of them as “Ajax.” Baker was identified in a lineup by Davis, and reportedly has a tattoo on his chest that says “AJAX.”

Authorities arrested Baker, who waived his Miranda rights during his interview with police. Preliminary investigation revealed that the vehicle belonged to Baker. He drove the vehicle to the top of Mile High Road with six people inside, APD says. Initially, Baker reported his car was stolen during a “Chinese fire drill,” according to court documents, but he later admitted to driving the vehicle.

“The vehicle was parked near Brownie and Barclay Drive where the occupants used drugs inside of the vehicle,” APD said. “For an undetermined reason, Baker produced a firearm and started firing at the other occupants inside of the vehicle.”

The left side of the car showed evidence of the shooting, with damage to the windows and doors consistent with witness testimony. All of the occupants fled except for McCarr. In an interview with police, Baker said an “angel” threw the gun away after the incident.

Police believe someone picked Baker up in the Eagle River Road area around 6:30 a.m. Sunday, adding that someone dropped Baker off at the Tesoro Gas Station, located at 12139 Old Glenn Hwy.

Police are now looking for that person, believed to be driving a newer model dark red or maroon SUV.

Authorities are asking that person to call police at 786-8900 and press “0” to speak with a dispatcher, who will connect them with a detective.

Bail was denied by Magistrate Judge Kathleen Doherty.

The city of Kodiak

Two teens have been arrested on drug-related charges after authorities found illegal narcotics in their possession.

The investigation began Thursday afternoon when Alaska State Troopers made contact with 18-year-old Dakota Benton, who troopers say had marijuana within 500 feet of the Kodiak Middle School.

“Benton was issued a citation for no vehicle insurance,” according to an AST dispatch posted Sunday, adding that troopers seized the vehicle. “And he was released on his own recognizance.”

AST applied for a search warrant of the vehicle, a 1997 Honda Civic. When it was granted, troopers say they found 17 grams of marijuana, LSD (acid), methamphetamine, Xanax, alcohol and a safe. Troopers also found over $230 and other paraphernalia in the vehicle that was “indicative of the sale and trafficking of illegal narcotics,” the dispatch says.

On Friday, troopers obtained two additional search warrants for two residences in Kodiak. While serving the search warrants, authorities made contact with Benton and a 17-year-old juvenile.

Troopers found that the 17-year-old had a “psilocybin mushroom grow operation,” along with 3.5 grams of marijuana, alcohol, a safe and more than $650. The juvenile also possessed a handgun and paraphernalia “indicative of the sale and trafficking of narcotics.”

Benton was placed under arrest and taken to the Kodiak Jail, where he was held without bail, pending arraignment. He faces the following charges: four counts of third-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance, five counts of fourth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance, two counts of fifth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance and a count of minor in possession of alcohol.

The 17-year-old was placed under arrest and remanded without bail on the following charges: second-degree theft, fifth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance, sixth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance and a count of minor in possession of alcohol.

This investigation continues, troopers say, with the help of the Kodiak Police Department.

Updated Monday, March 9 at 12:15 p.m.

Alaska State Troopers shot and injured a woman at a Fairbanks home after she reportedly threatened another woman Sunday evening.

Around 7 p.m. Sunday, troopers received a report that a woman had turned a gun on a woman at a residence near Dale Road, according to AST spokeswoman Beth Ipsen.

Troopers responded, and “during the course of the interaction at the home with the woman who had reportedly pointed the gun, troopers fired at the woman, injuring her,” the dispatch says.

The woman was taken to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital for treatment of apparent non-life-threatening injuries, troopers said. AST’s Alaska Bureau of Investigation is looking into the cause and circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Toopers worked through the night and into the early morning in an effort to reduce any potential interference with the Iditarod restart on Dale Road, Ipsen said. Per department policy, the names of the troopers involved will be withheld for 72 hours.

–This is a developing story. 

Anchorage police are responding to a report of a man who showed up to Bean’s Café with a gunshot wound.

The call came in around 4:15 p.m. Monday, according to the Anchorage Police Department.

Officers say the man showed up at Beans Café saying he had been shot. Workers saw he had what looked like a gunshot wound to the shoulder and called police.

The victim has been taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police are now questioning people at Bean’s Cafe and in the area to try and figure out where the shooting took place.

An officer on scene says it may have happened at the top of the metal staircase that lead to a parking lot that Brother Francis and Bean’s Café share.

No suspect has been taken into custody at this time, APD says.

This is an ongoing story. Please check back for updates.

A 54-year-old Big Lake man was arrested after authorities seized than $50,000 worth of heroin and methamphetamine while serving a search warrant in the Anchorage area, according to Alaska State Troopers.

While serving the search warrant on March 2, AST’s Mat-Su Drug Enforcement Team located and seized 167 grams of heroin — roughly $50,000 in street value — and 52 grams of crystal methamphetamine, an additional $7,800 in street value, according to an online dispatch.

Investigation led authorities to Ricky Blodgett, who was arrested in Wasilla as he was exiting a local business at 11:30 a.m. Blodgett’s vehicle, a blue 2000 Chevy Blazer, was also seized, in which investigators found $2,000 in cash. According to AST spokeswoman Megan Peters, Blodgett was responsible for transporting the drugs to Alaska.

Blodgett was arraigned Monday on one count of third-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance and one count of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance. Bail was set at $50,000. Blodgett has one previous drug-related conviction.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.

A former Fairbanks chiropractor has been sentenced to three years in prison for concealing bankruptcy assets and possessing illegal weapons that he wanted a hit man to use to kill Sarah Palin’s lawyer.

Federal prosecutors say 56-year-old Guy Mannino offered a machine gun and silencer for use in shooting attorney John Tiemessen in a matter unconnected to Palin, Alaska’s former governor.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Bottini says Tiemessen represented another chiropractor in a lawsuit against Mannino and Mannino thought he was going to lose the case.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (http://bit.ly/1AhWuAy) reports the man reported the plot to Alaska State Troopers.

Bottini says Mannino could not be charged in federal court with the murder plot because it did not cross state lines.

___

Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Alaska State Troopers are investigating a Wasilla burglary in which about 30 firearms and a safe were reportedly stolen.

Wednesday around 12:30 p.m., troopers responded to an after-the-fact burglary at a home on South Morgan Drive in Wasilla, according to an online dispatch posted Thursday.

A Sentry safe containing “personal documents and a large sum of cash” were reported missing, along with the guns. The total value of the items is estimated at $50,000.

AST spokeswoman Megan Peters said Thursday afternoon that no other information regarding the break-in was available.

Troopers ask anyone with information to contact them at 907-745-2131.

–This is an ongoing story. Please check back for updates. 

Courtesy Anchorage Police Department

A man was arrested after an undercover investigation revealed he was sexually abusing at least one child and filming the acts for potential distribution, according to the Anchorage Police Department.

Greg Cole Bucknell, 59, was arrested March 5 at his home outside of Fairbanks, according to a statement from APD. His arrest was the result of an undercover investigation conducted by Detective Mark Thomas.

During his investigation, Thomas discovered videos depicting sexual abuse of children as young as 4 years old using the Ares P2P file sharing software. One user claimed to have 585 “files of interest” available for download, meaning files containing “child pornography, child erotica, or incest related materials,” according to Thomas’ affidavit.

The public IP address of that account was linked by General Communications, Inc. (GCI) to a Fairbanks residence on the 2000 block of Eagan Avenue, as well as a business on the 5000 block of Haystack Drive, known as Summit Telephone Company.

Further investigation showed the company provided internet service to homes in the area that were outside the reach of GCI. Bucknell’s home address, which was given to police by Summit Telephone Company, was determined using the private IP address linked to the Ares account.

A search warrant served at that location revealed additional photos and videos, some showing Bucknell sexually assaulting girls between the ages of 6 and 11 years old.

APD spokeswoman Jennifer Castro said Wednesday that the devices seized during the search were still being examined by the APD Cyber Crimes unit, and that an estimate of the amount of explicit footage and imagery found was not yet available.

During an interview with investigators, Bucknell admitted to viewing child pornography since “at least the late 1990′s,” according to court documents.

Police stated the complex nature of the case required assistance from the Alaska Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Attorney General’s Office of Special Prosecutions, APD, Fairbanks police, Alaska State Troopers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Marshals, all of whom were on scene during the arrest.

Bucknell was initially held at the Fairbanks Correctional Center, according to APD, but has since been transferred to the Anchorage Correctional Complex as some of the crimes portrayed in footage found may have occurred in Anchorage.

Bucknell faces two counts of distributing child pornography and four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor. During his arraignment Thursday, Bucknell pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to prosecuting attorney Adam Alexander with the Alaska Attorney General’s Office of Special Prosecutions. Alexander says bail was set at $200,000 cash, along with the requirement of a third-party custodian. Additional charges are pending in the case, according to Castro.

Castro says police believe there are more victims in this case. They are asking anyone with information to call the Anchorage Cyber Crimes unit at 786-8500.

Courtesy APD

Anchorage police say a man and a teenage boy helped police capture a 28-year-old man who escaped the mental health unit of the Anchorage Correctional Complex Friday morning.

Kevin Tuckfield reportedly left the jail on foot around 8:22 a.m., according to a statement from the Anchorage Police Department. Alaska State Troopers assisting in the case reported Tuckfield was able to make his escape by climbing over the fence in the jail’s yard.

Just before 11:40 a.m., a woman vacuuming her car at a car wash on Lake Otis Parkway was approached by a man who was later identified as Tuckfield. He allegedly implied to her that he had a gun, and began forcing her into her vehicle. She began screaming and fighting back, and was eventually able to escape from Tuckfield, who fled.

A 39-year-old man nearby came over to assist the woman, and stayed with her while calling for emergency help. A 16-year-old male driving a white truck followed the suspect, according to a statement from police. Police were able to find and arrest Tuckfield thanks to information from the teenager.

Tuckfield was charged with third and fourth-degree assault, second-degree escape, kidnapping and robbery, according to APD spokeswoman Jennifer Castro in a prepared statement.

“The Anchorage Police Department would like to recognize the outstanding work of these citizens who were able to intervene in a dangerous situation – their actions made a difference in helping keep our community safe,” Castro wrote.

After a lengthy investigation by authorities, two at-large suspects were indicted Thursday for allegedly operating a prostitution ring in Anchorage.

Troy Edward Williams, 47, and Heidi Ross, 35, are accused of using force to make victims engage in prostitution, according to a statement from the Alaska Department of Law. Williams and Ross allegedly used tactics such as beating women and depriving them of “food and other necessities” if the victims failed to make enough money.

“In another instance, Ross is alleged to have forced women to take ice baths, be beaten, or hand write ‘I am willing to work’ a thousand times if they appeared reluctant to be prostituted,” according to charging documents.

Based on the seriousness of the charges and prior criminal history, Williams faces a potential sentencing range of 20 to 35 years. He was eight prior felonies and misdemeanor convictions that include robbery, burglary, hindering prosecution and weapons offenses.

Ross faces a presumptive sentencing range of at least 10 to 25 years, according to the DOL.

The investigation was conducted by the Alaska Bureau of Investigation’s Special Crimes Investigation Unit.

Warrants have been issued for their arrest. Authorities ask people with information on the couple’s whereabouts, or alleged crimes, to contact the ABI’s Special Crimes Investigation Unit at 907-269-5611.

A former Fairbanks priest will serve at least 10 years in federal prison on a child pornography offense under a plea agreement.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (http://bit.ly/1ChbWBI ) reports Clint Landry pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor in a signed agreement filed Wednesday.

Landry was a priest at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Fairbanks’ largest Catholic congregation, until May.

That’s when the plea agreement says a custodian at Landry’s church-provided home saw an open email on Landry’s computer with a sexually explicit photo of a teenage girl.

The FBI searched Landry’s computer after the custodian contacted her supervisor.

The longtime New Orleans schoolteacher first came to Fairbanks in 2009 and was ordained in 2011.

He’s scheduled to be sentenced in June.

___

Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Anchorage police are investigating an early-morning shooting in Fairview that left a man wounded.

At around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, the Anchorage Police Department received calls from several people saying they heard multiple shots fired in the Fairview area. When police responded to a shooting in the area of 12th Avenue and Medfra Street, they found a 30-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg.

“Bullets had also struck a nearby vehicle and a home,” according to a release from APD. “But no other injuries were reported.”

Police say the victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. No arrests have been made at this time, APD says, and the victim’s name is being withheld at this time.

“Additional details will be released as they become available,” APD says, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

Please check back for updates on this story.