Last updated at 11:55 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14

Three men were arrested on assault and kidnapping charges Tuesday following an incident at a south Anchorage home, according to a Nixle alert sent out by the Anchorage Police Department (APD) Wednesday morning.

Officers were called to an Anchorage hospital around 5 a.m. Tuesday to speak with a man who reported he had been assaulted. The 20-year-old told police he had been tied up, beaten with a baseball bat, cut, burned and sexually assaulted at his home, police said.

The assault was carried out by three other men who lived in the same home as the victim, according to APD.

Police went to the home and took five individuals to the police station for questioning. Three of the five were arrested and charged.

Terence Pete, 21, is charged with kidnapping, two counts of first-degree sexual assault and four counts of second-degree assault. Damon Clark, 20, is charged with kidnapping, two counts of sexual assault and one count of third-degree assault. Stefan Roggenbuck, 26, is charged with first-degree sexual assault and fourth-degree assault.

APD spokesperson Jennifer Castro said the case is still under investigation and additional charges could be filed.

According to online court records, at the time of the incident Clark was out on bail for another crime. In November, he was charged with felony vehicle theft and misdemeanor misconduct with a weapon.

All three men were taken to Anchorage jail, according to APD. Police ask anyone with additional information to call them at 907-786-8900.

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

The post 3 men charged in connection to south Anchorage kidnapping, assault appeared first on KTVA 11.

Stolen U-Haul found empty and abandoned in a driveway

John Thain/KTVA

Stolen U-Haul found empty and abandoned in a driveway

John Thain/KTVA

Last updated at 2:40 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14

Anchorage police say they have found a U-Haul truck that was reported stolen sometime around 11 a.m. Wednesday.

The truck is being rented by UPS and contained “multiple pieces of mail and packages,” according to a release sent out by Jennifer Castro, Anchorage Police Department spokesperson.

“The UPS driver was delivering a package to residence when the truck was stolen and driven away,” Castro wrote.

When it was found abandoned, it was empty, police said. They confirmed the home where it was parked was not connected to the theft.

The 14-foot truck had a UPS magnet on each side of the cab, Arizona license plate “AD49490” and a long nylon rope hanging from the back. It was stolen from the area of 800 W. 57th Ave, the release states.

If you have seen the truck or have any information on the theft, police ask that you call them at 907-786-8900.

The post Anchorage police find stolen U-Haul; no sign of mail and packages appeared first on KTVA 11.

A grand jury has indicted 32-year-old Raymond “Jonah” Negovanna for sexually abusing five children from Anchorage and Wainwright at least as far back as January of 2006. Additionally, the investigation revealed he likely had up to 11 victims between the two locations.

The Anchorage Police Department Crimes Against Children Unit (CACU) first began investigating Negovanna in May after the Office of Children’s Services contacted them. They reported that a 12-year-old stated Negovanna had touched her inappropriately and sexually assaulted her.

In an interview with Alaska Cares in Anchorage, she stated the abuse began when she was 9, CACU detective Kristi Mercer wrote in her affidavit. Mercer reported the victim also stated she had witnessed him do the same to another child, now 10, including taking a photograph of that child in her underwear. That child confirmed the 12-year-old’s report in a separate interview. She said the abuse against her began when she was 8 years old, and also included watching the abuse enacted on the first child, according to Mercer.

During the course of the investigation, additional victims came forward and shared similar stories of abuse at the hands of Negovanna. The alleged crimes included Negovanna touching the victims and sexually assaulting them in various ways, and showing one child pictures of naked people on his phone, Mercer outlined in her affidavit.

At the grand jury hearing, seven of Negovanna’s alleged victims were asked to testify, as well as a one of two civilian adults who were instrumental in the investigation by recording a confrontation with Negovanna about the accusations.

Assistant District Attorney Kevin Bergt said the case spanned two jurisdictions, requiring the cooperation of multiple agencies, including the North Slope Borough Police Department. It also meant travel for some of the victims from Wainwright, which he said, in a case like this, would mean not having to testify more than once. He noted some of the victims are “quite young” — one of the victims who testified was 6 years old.

Negovanna was initially charged with nine counts of first- and second-degree sexual abuse of a minor and first-degree harassment, but the grand jury saw fit to increase the harassment charges to first-degree sexual abuse of minor, according to online court records. However, Bergt said Negovanna was only indicted for five of the 11 identified victims.

“What’s presented to the grand jury doesn’t necessarily sustain all the charges that we think are gonna be there,” Bergt explained. “There were more children that were interviewed, but ultimately the evidence was only there for the nine counts and the five victims, as far as the grand jury is concerned.”

He said at this point, no additional felony charges related to the 11 victims are being considered.

Mercer noted in her affidavit that two of the victims, now adults, stated the abuse they allegedly suffered occurred when they were between the ages of 10 and 12; one of them waited a decade to report it, according to the charging documents.

“Some of them are afraid, some of them are embarrassed, and it takes sometimes the first one to come forward before the other kids kinda say, ‘well I’m gonna do that too, or now it’s ok,'” Bergt said, adding that sometimes victims won’t come forward until a suspect is in custody. “As a parent, if you notice something different with your child, it always pays to have that conversation and make sure they know the difference between a good touch and a bad touch, but when that takes place… is different for everybody.”

There is no statute of limitations for reporting the sexual abuse of a minor in Alaska, as it is a felony, according to Bergt. If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual abuse, help can be found by calling your local law enforcement agency, as well as the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA) website.

Negovanna has been in custody since Oct. 19, held under a bail of $100,000 cash or corporate with the requirement of a third-party custodian. If convicted, he faces up to 99 years in prison.

The post Wainwright man indicted for sexually abusing 5 children, other victims interviewed appeared first on KTVA 11.

The man accused of strangling his girlfriend to death pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Wednesday as part of an agreement that could set him free in 14 years.

At the hearing, 30-year-old David Thomas asked Anchorage District Court Judge Kevin Saxby to give him the maximum penalty for killing 19-year-old Linda Bower on Sept. 10, 2014. Saxby accepted his plea, but noted that he would not make a decision about the agreement until the sentencing hearing.

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Bower’s family was at the hearing and requested the opportunity to speak before the court.

“Our daughter Linda was only 19 years old when she was senselessly taken from us 2 years, three months and four days ago,” Bower’s father, Lonny Bower, said, calling the plea deal “an insult to justice and a disgrace to our family and our daughter Linda.”

Holding onto a framed photo of her daughter, Sherry Miller tearfully pleaded for Saxby to reject the plea agreement.

“Our daughter no longer has a voice. We her parents and her family, are her voice, and this individual does not deserve parole at any time. My daughter doesn’t get to breathe the air that he breathes. She doesn’t get to fulfill her life as she deserved,” she said. “It may be a good deal for the state, but it is an insult to the family. She’ll never have an opportunity to speak for herself again, and we are her voice and we want to be heard.”

David Thomas

Taking the opportunity to speak for himself at the hearing, Thomas told Saxby that sentencing him to “anything shy of 99 is a great mercy.”

“Having said that, I do ask you to sincerely consider Linda’s family’s petition and just really take to hear their concerns in all the matters,” he said quietly. “Not sure specifically what’s said in the petition, but they are right on the fact that Linda doesn’t a voice in this and they are her voice.”

The hearing was the first time Linda Bower’s family has seen him since he was arraigned.

“To see him for the first time since he was arraigned just opens everything back up — every image, every emotion — and to hear him say that he would basically rather be locked away, it would be an answer to our prayers that we wouldn’t have to go through this, wouldn’t have to go through a trial, endure weeks of pictures and testimony and things that aren’t true cause I know how court systems go,” Miller said. “I know how trials go and she deserves for him to be put away without going to trial.”

Thomas has previously claimed that he remembered putting his hands around Linda Bower’s throat, but said when he woke up, he was on the floor and she was “stiff.” He fled with her body in his brother’s vehicle, and later turned himself in to police.

“What he did was blatant what he did what he set out to do he has no regard for human life and she was only 19 and maybe 100 pounds and what defense did she have?” Miller said. “So I hope I hear her voice till the day I die and this will not end. If it goes bad for us, I will be here on this door every time it’s open and fight for her, she deserved it.

Under the plea agreement, Thomas would we eligible for parole within 16 years, sooner because of time he has already served. He has been in custody since his arrest on Sept. 11, 2014. If he is denied parole, he will be eligible to appeal that decision every two years. Before Senate Bill 91’s passage, Thomas would have had to wait 10 years, and Linda Bower’s family says that change could put them and other families through unnecessary pain more frequently.

“Every two years our family would be forced to go through this, and every other family would be forced to go and live through this just because of SB 91,” Lonny Bower said after the hearing.

Thomas’ sentencing is scheduled for April 2017.

KTVA 11’s Daniella Rivera, Emily Carlson and Shannon Riddle contributed to this report. 

The post ‘An insult to justice’: Family of murdered teen begs judge to reject suspect’s plea agreement appeared first on KTVA 11.

Law enforcement, and other segments of Alaska’s justice system, are quite concerned about deep changes the Legislature began making to the state criminal code this year, according to a story published by KYUK Public Media.

The aim of Senate Bill 91 is to reduce sentences and jail time for many low-level offenders, opening the way to more rehabilitation and treatment options as well as reducing recidivism. In Western Alaska, proponents say that this could give local tribes power to take a seat at the table, but are they ready for that increased responsibility?

As Alaska tribes continue to explore tribal sovereignty by looking into taking allotments and corporation land into federal trust, an opportunity may be opening with the new criminal code revision. Alaska State Trooper Capt. Berry Wilson thinks so, anyway.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for coordinated and cooperative interaction between the state system and the tribal system in a manner that helps prevent incarceration and institutionalization of individuals that we can fix,” Wilson said.

SB 91 eases punishments for low-level crimes like alcohol consumption, which make up a huge portion of the crimes in Western Alaska. Convictions for these offenses can set offenders on a path of lifelong incarceration. Wilson said that SB 91 leaves room for tribal courts to step in before that happens, and he is pushing for that.

“It gives us a tool, it really does,” he said. “If a tribal court writes out a [domestic violence] order and says, ‘This is what you can’t do’, we use that just as we would use a state order.”

Tribal courts have a reputation for being unorthodox in the way they prosecute crimes and dole out punishment, however.

“I’ve got a friend in Kwethluk who’s an alcoholic, terrible alcoholic,” said Jim Valcarce, a Bethel attorney who played a role in designing SB 91. “And when he gets caught, he would love to go to the state rather than go through the tribal court up there because they make him do stuff. They make him work. One day he had to empty honey buckets. And to him, he says a month in jail is way easier than spending one day working for the tribal court in Kwethluk. That’s smart justice because the community’s getting something back, it actually causes him to re-think what he’s gonna do, and the community has a vested interest now.”

Valcarce likes that many tribal courts employ traditional knowledge during the process, but in one area that can be a problem.

“By simply banishing somebody, or sending them out of town, you just create a problem for somebody else,” Valcarce said. “And I just think tribal courts who are doing that have not thought that through, because I don’t think they’ve been trained to understand that.”

Banishment made headlines this summer in the case of Derek Adams, who was banished from his village of Nunam Iqua after being involved in a fire that killed three people. Though the state of Alaska found Adams to be guilty only of criminal negligence, three different villages sentenced him to banishment even before the trial had taken place. Tribal courts do not have clear standards for due process, and this can be problematic when sentences conflict with state or federal rulings.

“One of the things that’s really important when we look at the banishment issue as it comes forth from a community is, ‘Was there due process for the individual that is being banished?'” Wilson said. :You can’t just say ‘We don’t like you, you’re banished, go away.’ You don’t have any options, you don’t have any appeal, you don’t have any say, you don’t have any ability to controvert. That’s lack of due process.”

Both Orutsararmiut Native Council and the village of Emmonak are building a tribal justice program, but these new courts could be in for a rough ride as they take on hard cases that they don’t yet have the capacity to deal with.

SB 91 will take three years to fully go into effect, and next year the Legislature is likely to make revisions.

The post Justice reform might mean increased power for tribal courts appeared first on KTVA 11.

One person underwent emergency surgery Friday morning after Anchorage police found him injured in the street following reports of gunshots.

The Anchorage Police Department stated in a release that shots were reported around 2:30 a.m. Friday near Donna Drive in east Anchorage. A caller told police they heard a man screaming.

When officers arrived on scene, they found the victim on Donna Drive near Sixth Avenue with a gunshot wound to his lower body, according to APD spokesperson Jennifer Castro. He was taken to an area hospital for emergency surgery and remains hospitalized.

A vehicle with bullet holes was found on the street. APD stated it had been driven by the wounded man.

Police are asking people to contact them with any information regarding the incident at 907-786-8900, or provide an anonymous crime tip online or at 907-561-STOP.

The post 1 hospitalized in early morning shooting, APD investigating appeared first on KTVA 11.

An Anchorage resident arrested in 2014 for operating a large drug ring in the Mat-Su and Fairbanks was sentenced Monday to 22 years in prison, according to a press release from the Alaska State Troopers.

Seneca Neal, 37, has been held without bail since his arrest on Nov. 30, 2014.

Investigators with the Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU), along with multiple other agencies, discovered Neal was distributing large amounts of heroin and other drugs throughout the Mat-Su and Fairbanks.

In 2014, authorities seized about $232,000 worth of brown heroin, bath salts, marijuana and over $8,000 in cash as part of their investigation, AST spokesperson Megan Peters wrote in the release.

Neal was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin, distribution of over 100 grams and possession with intent to distribute.

Authorities seized over 700 grams of heroin following multiple raids in 2014, according to Peters.

The post Anchorage man sentenced to 22 years for dealing heroin in Mat-su, Fairbanks appeared first on KTVA 11.

Last updated at 8:41 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17

A man indicted Monday for the deaths of two people nearly a year ago has been arrested by Anchorage police.

The Anchorage Police Department announced just after 5 a.m. Saturday that Jamal Hall, who was indicted Monday for the double homicide at Point Woronzof in January, was taken into custody without incident. Department spokesperson Renee Oistad declined to answer questions about capturing Hall, but said police found him through “their investigative efforts.”

For 11 months, the families of 20-year-old Foriegnne Aubert-Morissette and 19-year-old Selena Annette Mullenax waited for answers. Finally, two days after what would have been Mullenax’s 20th birthday, her mother got a call from investigators, telling her the news: Someone had been indicted for the deaths.

“Knowing that her killer is hopefully gonna be behind bars here soon has brought a lot of relief,” Rose Mullenax said about the news.

Hall was originally a burglary suspect wanted by the Anchorage Police Department before Monday’s indictment.

Anchorage police issued a statement on Dec. 1 asking the public for helping locating him in connection to a robbery at a Walgreens store on Northern Lights Boulevard.

Along with first-degree robbery and third-degree assault, Hall now faces charges of two counts each of first- and second-degree murder for the deaths. The two were found at Point Woronzof early on the morning of Jan. 28 by a passerby. Selena Mullenax was already dead when police arrived, but Aubert-Morissette was still alive. He later died at a nearby hospital.

Selena Mullenx and Foriegnne Aubert-Morrisette. Courtesy Anchorage Police Department

“The Anchorage Police Department’s homicide unit has investigated the homicide over the last 11 months,” Anchorage District Attorney Clint Campion said in a statement. “Allegedly, Hall shot Aubert-Morrissette in the head near the beach then allegedly shot Mullenax halfway down the hill.”

Campion said bail in the homicide case has been set for $1 million, while a judge issued a no-bail warrant for Hall’s arrest in the robbery.

Hall remained at large for the rest of the week, while police urged the public for help finding him, citing concerns that the man posed a danger to public safety.

“Mr. Hall is a young man, I understand that he and those close to him might be very scared about what he could be facing and I understand and appreciate that,” Campion said in an interview. “It’s our goal and the goal of the police department to bring Mr. Hall safely into custody in connection with this warrant allow his rights to be protected and make sure no one else is harmed.”

While Rose Mullenax prepared for her first holiday season without her daughter, Hall was out living life, as evidenced by posts made on a Facebook account that appears to belong to him.

The posts are no longer accessible to the public.

Campion said investigators haven’t released much information about the case — including how they connected Hall as a suspect — because they’re protecting the investigation.

“We want to make sure that we maintain the integrity of the investigation so that we’re not putting out information into the community that would only be known by people that would be at a homicide scene or would have seen something or heard something,” he explained.

He didn’t go into details about the relationship between Hall and the victims, but said investigators do not believe the killings were random.

A former Anchorage detective said he believes the crime could be gang-related. Scott Lofthouse, once involved in gang intelligence at APD, said Hall has friends on Facebook who are known gang members, and Aubert-Morrisette — who also went by the nickname “Onie” — was a known member of a local Crips gang.

“Seeing that Jamal Hall is the one that’s been indicted and seeing his associations and knowing Onie Morrisette’s associations, I absolutely think there was some kind of gang association there,” Lofthouse said. “Whether or not it was done in the name of a gang is hard to say.”

Campion said prosecutors have developed a motive in the case but probably won’t release it until a trial gets underway. 

 If convicted, Hall faces up to 99 in years in prison for each murder charge, Campion said.

“A defendant’s sentence is determined by the judge who must consider the circumstances of the offense, the impact on the victims and the community, and the potential for rehabilitation of the defendant,” he added.

The post Police arrest man wanted for Point Woronzof double homicide appeared first on KTVA 11.

A west Anchorage shooting left one person with “serious, but survivable injuries,” according to the Anchorage Police Department.

At 1:01 a.m. APD said they responded to the shooting. The victim, and witnesses, told police he was headed to his home on the 200 block of Clover Hollow Court, when he turned the corner to his neighborhood and saw several people in the middle of the road.

After the victim parked his car in the garage, he confronted the group of people.

“Some type of altercation occurred and then one of the people in the group pulled a gun and fired at the victim, hitting him twice in the legs,” police wrote in a release.

APD said it is unknown how many people were present at the time of the shooting.

After the male was shot, he ran away and stopped at the front step of another residence in the area. When the homeowner found the victim, they called police.

Anyone with information on the incident is being urged to call Anchorage police at 907-786-8900.

The post APD: West Anchorage shooting leaves 1 with ‘survivable’ injuries appeared first on KTVA 11.

A 39-year-old Anchorage man will spend 17 months in prison for selling four one pound bricks of explosive material to an FBI informant, according to federal court records.

In early-June, Reginald Jesse Hawley sold the materials illegally for $2,000, at $500 per brick, according to a criminal complaint. Purchased with FBI agent cashier funds, federal law enforcement captured the exchange on video.

Hawley, who was convicted of sexual assault in 2009, was originally charged for being a felon in possession of a firearm and distribution of explosives without a federal explosives license. But, in September, Hawley changed his plea, court records show.

Friday, U.S. District Court judge Sharon Gleason accepted a plea agreement, which dropped the charge for not having a license to sell explosives. Hawley pleaded guilty to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Howley will be on three years of supervised release, after his 17 month prison sentence.

The post Anchorage man sentenced for selling explosives appeared first on KTVA 11.

Shannon Riddle / KTVA

Shannon Riddle / KTVA

Shannon Riddle / KTVA

Anchorage police say a house in a neighborhood near Cheney Lake was struck with multiple bullets in a shooting late Sunday night, but that no one was harmed.

Spokesperson for the Anchorage Police Department, Anita Shell, said in an email Monday that just before 11:30 p.m. Sunday, a caller reported gunfire in the area of Baxter Road and Prosperity Drive. APD reported that one house was hit with several rounds along with a vehicle.

No injuries were reported in connection to the incident, police stated.

Shell stated that witnesses told police they heard a “verbal altercation” just before the gunshots, along with the sound of vehicles leaving the scene.

Police stated there were no arrests made and that no suspect or vehicle information is available.

The post Shots fired overnight near Cheney Lake, APD investigating appeared first on KTVA 11.

The Anchorage man charged with killing two young people in January was arraigned in superior court Monday.

Jamal Hall faces two charges each of first and second-degree murder. He also faces robbery, assault and theft charges for allegedly robbing a Midtown Walgreens in late November. An attorney for Hall entered not guilty pleas for both cases in Nesbett Courthouse Monday.

Hall is being held on $1 million for the murder charges. No bail was set for the robbery charges.

Police found 20-year-old Foriegnne Aubert-Morissette and 19-year-old Selena Mullenax near Point Woronzof in January. Mullenax was dead; Aubert-Morissette died at a hospital a short time later.

Police arrested Hall early Saturday morning after an 11-month-long investigation. District Attorney Clint Campion said investigators started making significant progress during the late summer and early fall, when a witness began revealing new evidence and additional witnesses. He said the same lawyer has been working on the case since the homicides happened.

“It’s our goal to have vertical prosecution, where you respond to the crime scene and you’re making your closing argument to the jury,” said Campion. “You’re involved throughout that process.”

He said there are more people who know what happened the night Mullenax and Aubert-Morissette were killed, but they are not talking to police.

“Our goal is to get to the truth to find out exactly what happened to the best of our ability. So if people have more information, we’d like them to come forward so we can put together the rest of the puzzle,” said Campion.

Judge Michael Corey set a trial date of April 18 for the murder charges and April 20 for the robbery charges. However, Campion said is could be one year before a trial begins.

“The charges are very serious and we want to make sure that when we get to trial that everybody’s prepared [and] it’s an even playing field so there aren’t questions in the community about the fairness of the trail,” said Campion. “We want to make sure that any rights of the defendant are protected.”

He added that the murders do not appear to be a random act of violence, as he believes Hall knew the victims.

Devonte Wyche and Katelyn Moon are charged with hindering prosecution for allegedly attempting to hide Hall while police were actively looking for him. Campion said they made bail and are expected to appear in court in January.

KTVA 11’s Eric Ruble can be reached via email or on Facebook and Twitter.

The post Point Woronzof double-murder suspect pleads not guilty appeared first on KTVA 11.

Updated at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 21

One man is dead and another has been charged with murder and manslaughter after a family fight turned deadly.

According to a Wednesday morning release from the Anchorage Police Department, law enforcement was alerted just before 10 p.m. Tuesday to a domestic disturbance on the 5400 block of Camelot Drive, near Lionheart Drive and Boniface Parkway.

The woman who called police said her husband had pointed a gun at her head. The man, identified by APD as 31-year-old Tino Faualo, had been fighting with his wife earlier that evening.

Police say the woman then called and told her father, 55-year-old Valu Valu Jr., who drove to the couple’s home to confront Faualo.

The two men met in the driveway, APD wrote.

“Moments later, a witness called police stating that shots had been fired outside,” police wrote.

Police blocked off the area near the 5400 block of Camelot Drive early Wednesday morning during an hours-long investigation into the incident.

Charging documents state that at some point during the argument, Valu took out a gun and shot Faualo from inside his vehicle. APD stated that the 31-year-old was then driven away from the scene by a friend.

Nearly 30 minutes after the first call, a local hospital contacted APD saying they had admitted a man — Faualo — who had been shot in the chest. He later died at the hospital, according to police.

The vehicle used to take Faualo to the hospital had a damaged rear window “show inward,” police noted in charging documents. That vehicle was impounded as evidence.

In an interview with police, Valu stated he knew of at least one other instance where Faualo pointed a gun at his wife’s head and other domestic violence, charging documents show. While Valu admitted he wanted to slap or punch Faualo, he denied shooting him.

Police also noted in charging documents that Valu said he didn’t see Faualo with a gun, so “he wasn’t in fear for his own safety.”

Valu is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, misconduct involving weapons and tampering with evidence. He was taken to the Anchorage Correctional Complex.

The homicide is the 30th in Anchorage this year, breaking the previous record of homicides in a single year. Twenty-nine homicides were investigated in 1995.

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

The post Anchorage man charged with murder, manslaughter of son-in-law appeared first on KTVA 11.

In separate cases, Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess sentenced two men from Southeast Alaska for child pornography, the Alaska U.S. Attorney’s office announced Wednesday.

Both men were sentenced in federal court Tuesday, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Anchorage.

Burgess sentenced 55-year-old Juneau resident Steven Foster to 78 months in prison for distributing child pornography. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, authorities found more than 2,000 images and 54 videos in his home, all depicting minors performing sexual acts. Foster admitted to downloading the images and videos to his computer and used a program share them with others, the U.S. Attorney’s office explained.

Burgess also handed down a sentence of  five years to 28-year-old Marvin Jackson, of Petersburg, for transporting child pornography. Jackson pleaded guilty to the charge as part of a deal with prosecutors, who agreed to drop another charge of child pornography possession.

In Jackson’s case, he allegedly used photos of children between the ages of 3 and 6 in a Photoshop-like program to create images of sexual abuse involving the children, the plea agreement explained. Those images, along with “hundreds” of others, were found on his phone during an unrelated drug investigation when Jackson flew from Washington to Petersburg in January.

“Many of the images created by the defendant included text stating graphic sexual abuse fantasies related to those children,” the U.S. Attorney’s office explained in a statement.

Both cases are part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood (PSC) initiative, which launched in May 2006.

“[PSC] combines federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, identify and rescue victims and to educate the public about safe Internet use, thereby reducing the risk that children might fall prey to online sexual predators,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

For more information about PSC, visit the initiative’s website.

The post 2 Southeast Alaska men sentenced in separate child pornography cases appeared first on KTVA 11.

Last updated at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 21

The Fairbanks Police Department issued a warning on Facebook Wednesday about a scam involving someone claiming to be detective Avery Thompson.

“In this scam ‘Detective Thompson’ advises the caller a complaint has been made against them and he ultimately asks for payment to help resolve the complaint in lieu of a criminal investigation,” police explained on Facebook. “The scammer will advise the caller the complaint originates from them speaking with or sending digital images (sometimes explicit) via text communications to a minor.”

While Thompson does work for the department, FPD stated emphatically that he did not make the calls.

“Since it is a crime to impersonate a law enforcement officer, Detective Thompson is conducting further investigation into this matter,” said officer Doug Welborn. 

Welborn said Thompson is so far the only FPD employee whose name is being used in the scam.

In a phone interview, Thompson said he was surprised to learn the scammers were using his name, but said it was likely picked at random based on research into a specific target area, namely Fairbanks.

“Why me? Dang it!” he laughed.

He explained the scammers were using a voice-over-internet protocol (VOIP) system that could disguise the number they are calling from, making it appear the call is coming from FPD headquarters. He demonstrated this by “calling” from the main KTVA number while at home in North Pole. Thompson said the system used is widely available and not illegal, at least not until it’s used in a crime like this one.

Two Fairbanks residents have called FPD about receiving a call from Thompson, police stated. Thompson said police know of other calls as well that haven’t been formally reported, and some people have paid the scammers in a sophisticated multi-step plan.

“So kinda how this works, is it’s not that ‘detective Avery Thompson’ is saying, ‘hey, here’s the deal, you pay money or you’re going to face charges,'” Thompson explained. “What he’s doing is he’s saying, ‘you need to get in touch with the family and you need to make it right with the family.’ So he’s encouraging them, and then of course, he’s also most likely the family member that they’re going to be calling as well and he’s arranging for them to make payments to avoid the police being involved any further.”

Law enforcement officers will not call and ask for payment, Thompson said, adding that they will also not push for alleged criminals to “make things right” with families in this way.

Anyone with questions about a phone call, text or email allegedly from FPD is encouraged to call 907-450-6500 to confirm its validity. Thompson said if you become suspicious during a call, get the person’s name and information, hang up and contact the agency they claim to be from and ask to be reconnected to them.

Similar scams where the caller claims to be with Alaska State Troopers have been reported in the past. In those calls, someone demands payment in order for the targeted victim to avoid a warrant or to fix a supposedly missed court appearance. Anyone with questions about a possible warrant for their arrest can contact troopers at 907-451-5100. A list of current trooper warrants can be found here.

Thompson said anyone targeted by scams like this can help law enforcement by taking notes and not erasing any texts, emails or voicemails associated with the scam. Any record of the scam and those involved can help police in their investigation, he explained.

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There’s a new record for Anchorage — a murder Tuesday night has pushed the city’s yearly homicide rate to an all-time high. The Anchorage Police Department says 2016 has had 30 homicides so far, surpassing a record set in 1995 when that year ended with 29.

The latest homicide occurred in an East Anchorage neighborhood off of Boniface Parkway, and police are calling it a case of domestic violence.

A woman who said her husband was holding a gun to her head called police around 10 p.m. Tuesday night. Police said before they could get there, the woman’s father arrived and shot her husband dead.

Lt. John McKinnon said the numbers are high, but it isn’t changing the way APD does business.

“We investigate crimes every day, so to us it’s just another day,” McKinnon explained. “We are not overwhelmed and we have the staffing to take care of anything that happens.”

McKinnon said the department has a 90 percent solve rate on homicide cases, “which is way above the national average.” He said only a handful of the 30 remain unsolved.

 
APD only counts three of this year’s homicides as truly unsolved. Those include the shooting deaths of Marcus Cosby Jr. in Eagle River, Ian Bobich in Government Hill and the mysterious death of Elijah Zeller, who was dropped at a hospital with gunshot wounds he later succumbed to. Police said they are still not entirely sure where Zeller was shot.

Four other deaths are considered unsolved because a suspect has yet to be identified in those cases — the double homicides at Valley of the Moon Park and on Ship Creek Trail. However, all four victims — Jason Netter, Brianna Foisy, Brie De Husson and Kevin Turner — were killed by the same gun, which was also used to shoot and kill Treyveonkindell Thompson, police said. The man who had the gun, James Dale Ritchie, was killed in a shootout with police after firing on an officer.

Sketch from July killing of Treyveonkindell Thompson (L) next to James Ritchie (R). / Anchorage Police Department

Police have so far only been able to connect Ritchie with Thompson’s death, thanks to witnesses who helped police create a suspect sketch strikingly similar in appearance to Ritchie. The investigations into the other four deaths continue.

McKinnon said the public has been helpful this year in providing information to police, which has helped solve some of the crimes. He said he expects communication with the public will only get better as more officers hit the streets after upcoming APD academies, which Mayor Ethan Berkowitz has championed since he was sworn in.

“When you do not have an adequately sized police department, crime surges and the surge in crime is like a bow wave that’s moving ahead of the growth and the numbers of the police department,” he said Wednesday. “As the police department reaches full staffing levels, we’ll be able to keep more crimes from occurring.”

KTVA 11’s Daniella Rivera, Lauren Maxwell and Shannon Riddle contributed to this report.

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FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) – Fairbanks police say they have closed an old homicide case involving the death of a 60-year-old man at a local homeless camp after it was recently re-examined.

Police say current investigators took a look at the June 2004 death of Edward Sikvayugak.

Police say a suspect had been identified early in the original investigation, and had been forensically linked to the victim through DNA. But detectives at the time were unable to build a case.

According to police, current investigators re-examined the case, and it was resubmitted for prosecution.

Police say investigators, however, tried to contact the suspect. Police say it was discovered the suspect had suffered a “debilitating medical condition that would render them unable to aid in their own defense should the case be prosecuted.”

Police say they will not release that individual’s name and say there is no danger to the public.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Updated at 6:05 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 23

The shooting death of a 24-year-old man in early-December has been ruled a homicide by Anchorage police.

On Dec. 13, Travonne Tyki Ward was dropped off at a local emergency room with a gunshot wound. A short time later, he was declared deceased, the Anchorage Police Department wrote in a release.

“After police arrived at the hospital, an officer saw a Volkswagen in the hospital’s parking lot which matched the description of the vehicle that had dropped off the victim,” APD said.

The vehicle’s female driver was taken to police headquarters for questioning.

In an investigation police learned that Ward and the driver were with 19-year-old Richard E. Helme and another passenger at the time of the shooting. Police said Helme fired a handgun and the bullet struck Ward in the head.

Then Helme and the passenger fled on foot, while the driver took Ward to the emergency room.

In an affidavit filed Friday, Helme told police the two were friends and that the gun went off when he was handing it to Ward.

Helme was arrested on Friday for manslaughter, weapons misconduct and evidence tampering charges. His bail will be set at his arraignment.

Anchorage has had 31 homicide victims this year, the highest amount of homicides the city has ever seen.

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Four teens already in custody for crimes related to David Grunwald’s murder now face additional charges and are expected to be back in court at the end of December for their subsequent arraignments, according to online court records.

Erick Almandinger, Dominic Johnson and Bradley Renfro all face first-degree assault and vehicle theft charges, as well as third-degree arson charges. Austin Barrett faces the same assault and theft charges, but is not facing an arson charge.

The four of them are scheduled to be back at the Palmer Courthouse to be arraigned on the new charges Dec. 27.

Almandinger, Johnson, Renfro and Barrett already face first-degree murder charges, multiple counts of second-degree murder, kidnapping and hindering the prosecution for their alleged roles in Grunwald’s death.

According to initial charging documents, Grunwald was beaten and then kidnapped and driven away in his own vehicle before the teens shot him in a remote location off of Knik River Road.

After the slaying, the accused torched Grunwald’s Bronco, the documents state.

Devin Peterson, 18, was charged with one count of hindering prosecution and three counts of tampering with physical evidence earlier this month, and didn’t face any additional charges from the batch that game down on the other teens this week.

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