HUTCHINSON — A Kansas man serving a substantial amount of time in prison for a 2004 case is in more trouble. Anthony Jefferson, 53, is once again accused of battering a correctional officer at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility – Central Unit.

This is not the first time. In 2005, Jefferson was being transferred to the Hutchinson Correctional Facility from the El Dorado Correctional Facility so he could appear in District Court for an aggravated battery case. Jefferson became angry about an intake procedure and spit in the face of corrections officer John Markus. Jefferson was convicted of the crime and sentenced to more than 10 years in prison by the late Reno County District Judge Richard Rome.

Jefferson was also convicted of aggravated battery for shooting at Jesse Villa. Jefferson hit Villa in the ear with a .38-caliber handgun in the early morning hours of Feb. 1, 2004. Jefferson was given a 15-year sentence in that case.

Those sentences are running consecutively to each other. Jefferson is also serving time for drug convictions out of Harvey County.

According to the Kansas Department of Corrections, as it stands now, Jefferson is not eligible for parole until 2029. Any new sentence could add to that

WICHITA COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 3:30p.m. Wednesday in Wichita County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Cavalier driven by Gregory Ray II Martinez II, 21, Leoti, was Vehicle was southbound in the 900 block of County RD 9.

The vehicle left the roadway to the right, entered the west ditch, rolled and the driver was ejected

Martinez was transported to the Wichita County Health Center where he died. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A former used car dealer who defrauded his own finance company has been sentenced.

In February, Obada Alashqar, 24 of Wichita, one of the former operators of Adams Auto Sales & Repairs, was found guilty of conspiracy to impair a security interest. Alashqar was accused of conspiring with his business partner to defraud NextGear Capital, the finance company that provided the line of credit to run the used car lot, according to a media release from Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett.

On Monday, Judge Bruce Brown granted probation in the case, but ordered Alashqar to make monthly payments on the restitution. Judge Brown told Alashqar that he would have to serve five months in prison if he violated his probation by failing to make payments.

As one of the operators of Adams Auto Sales and Repairs, Alashqar purchased cars for resale using financing provided by NextGear. Under terms of the financing agreement, Alashqar was required to pay back NextGear when the cars were sold. The investigation alleged that Alashqar sold several cars financed by NextGear, but kept all the money.

Obada Alashqar, and his brother, Abdallah Alashqar, were previously ordered to pay $526,802 in a civil judgment brought by the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the District Attorney against the brothers and their car lot at 220 E. Kellogg. The car lot is no longer in business.

The Office of the District Attorney launched an investigation of the brothers and their dealership following consumer complaints. The District Attorney’s civil lawsuit alleged 48 violations, includingfailure to disclose safety recalls, failure to provide car titles, taking customer trade-in vehicles withoutpaying for them, selling vehicles “as is” and not having an auto dealer license with the Kansas Department of Revenue.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — More than 75 years after Nicholas J. Gojmerac was last seen alive dragging a wounded comrade to safety during a World War II battle, his remains are back home in Kansas.

A Marine Corps honor guard was on the tarmac of Kansas City International Airport Tuesday as Gojmerac’s remains were returned to his family. His remains are now at Leavenworth National Cemetery.

Gojmerac was in the Marine Corps Reserve when he was wounded during a battle on the Solomon Islands in 1943. The 29-year-old from Kansas City, Kansas, became one the multitude of U.S. service members listed as missing in action during World War II.

He was officially declared dead on July 21, 1944. It wasn’t until last September that relatives learned Gojmerac’s remains had been identified through dental and anthropological analysis.

“We just never knew what happened to him,” said Therese Moeller, a niece, who lives in Overland Park, Kansas.

“When he went missing, it affected the whole family because they all lived in the house or close to the house where he grew up,” Moeller said. “I’m sure there was much grief there on Strawberry Hill and because everybody who settled there was from Croatia, they were very close.”

Gojmerac was a member of Company Q, 4th Raider Battalion, 1st Marine Raider Regiment. According to his service record, Gojmerac and his unit went into battle with a Japanese stronghold on July 20, 1943.

“Upon hearing a wounded comrade in the front lines cry out for help, PFC Gojmerac crawled out to him through extremely heavy rifle fire, machine gun and mortar fire, administered first aid and dragged him to safety,” his record states. “While assisting his wounded comrade, Gojmerac himself was seriously wounded. Following this engagement with the enemy, it was discovered Gojmerac was missing.”

According to his obituary, his remains have been interred since 1949 at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says she wants to move the state’s prison system from being “all-punitive to much more therapeutic.”

Pleased to join law enforcement, advocates, and volunteers at the Crime Victims’ Rights Conference this morning. I’m thankful to each of you for prioritizing the needs of crime victims, whether it’s helping them get assistance, support, resources, and the justice they deserve. pic.twitter.com/uWiZIm19Im

— Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) April 10, 2019

Kelly made the comment Tuesday while speaking to more than 200 people at a Wichita school district administration building. Kelly says she has learned challenges within the Kansas Department of Corrections are worse than anticipated. In the search for a replacement to the agency’s interim leader, the governor said she would seek someone eager to properly staff prisons and transition the facilities to a rehabilitative footing.

She also says Kansas should engage in comprehensive sentencing reform because too many people were being thrown in jails and prisons. And she added that too many were held long after a point in which it had any benefit.

___

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a drive by shooting and have three suspects in custody.

Just before 11:30a.m. Tuesday, dispatch received a call stating that in the area of the 700 Block of NE Wabash in Topeka, a small blue passenger car just fired several gunshots out of the vehicle and fled the area, according to Lt. Andrew Beightel.

A police officer near the area when the call went out saw the suspect vehicle fleeing southbound down an alley. The officer radioed in his location and other officers were able to follow the car to the area of the 500 Block of NE Michigan, east alley.

At that point, the officers were able to take the two adult male occupants from the passenger car into custody without incident and recover firearms from the vehicle.

James Gillespie, 43, is being held on requested charges that include Criminal Discharge of a Firearm, Possession of StolenProperty, Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He has 11 previous convictions for burglary, theft, forgery, arson and more, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Jaugger E. Thomas, 22, is being held on requested charges that include Possession of Counterfeit Money, Possession of
Stolen Property, Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

Charles T. Higgins, 23, was in custody on requested charges that include Possession of Stolen Property. He has posted bond and was no longer in jail.