Rogue Valley News, Wednesday 4/26 –

The latest news stories of interest in the Rogue Valley and the state of Oregon from the digital home of Southern Oregon, Wynne Broadcasting’s RogueValleyMagazine.com

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Rogue Valley Weather

Joint Task Force Serves Search Warrant After Child Porn Uploaded from Local Central Point Residence 

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint inter-agency task force served a search warrant this morning at a residence in the 1100 block of Crown Avenue in Central Point. SOCET served the warrant after discovering hundreds of images of child exploitation were uploaded from the residence. Detectives are interviewing possible witnesses and involved parties, and investigations are ongoing.

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Oregon State Police, Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force (SOHTCTF), Medford Police Department, Central Point Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigations assisted with the warrant service.

During the warrant, investigators seized digital devices which will be forensically examined by SOHTCTF for further evidence of child exploitation. A tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) started the investigation, which led to subpoenas, followed by the search warrant at the residence.

SOCET is a joint inter-agency task force that started in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation and human trafficking. The task force consists of investigators from JCSO, Grants Pass Police Department, and HSI; as well as prosecutors from our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County.

State awards vehicle barrier systems to three southern Oregon cities to keep their communities safe from hostile vehicles 

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SALEM, Ore.—April 25, 2023—The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) has awarded vehicle barrier systems to three cities in southern Oregon through the State Preparedness and Incident Response Equipment (SPIRE) Grant. SPIRE grants fund the purchase and distribution of equipment to be used during an emergency to decrease the risk of loss of life and property damage.

Ashland, Grants Pass and Medford each received a Meridian Rapid Defense Group Archer 1200 steel barrier system with a drop-deck trailer and eight anti-vehicle barriers to mitigate the risk of hostile vehicles in their communities.

“The Archer 1200 system gives Jackson and Josephine Counties ready access, as well as a shared capability, to rapidly deploy an effective primary security safety system for entry points, roadways and perimeters,” said Medford Emergency Management Coordinator Aaron Ott. “These barriers will be used to protect people attending parades, ceremonies, summer markets, visits by dignitaries and other public gatherings from vehicle-borne attacks, including vehicle ramming, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices or accidents due to reckless or drunk driving.”

City of Ashland Police Department Chief Tighe O’Meara and City of Grants Pass Police Department Captain Todd Moran emphasized the importance of the three cities working together on the application.

“Ashland, Grants Pass and Medford are the largest communities in Josephine and Jackson County, yet none of these jurisdictions have the resources to acquire these lifesaving barriers,” said O’Meara. “Prior to this award, the only barriers available were patrol cars and limited use of fire apparatus. Large gatherings during protests or street congregations left little to no protection for pedestrians at these events.”

Moran agreed, adding, “Our regional approach means we can deploy barrier kits from neighboring cities when needed, ensuring the widest benefit and guaranteeing supplemental barriers for protection from threats or potential threats.”

The Archer 1200 system allows for one-person deployment of an eight-barrier trailer kit in under 10 minutes and permits pedestrian and emergency vehicle access without moving a barrier. It offers full ballistic protection for armor-piercing 50-caliber rounds. It can also be used to initiate recovery from wildfire events.

Oregon House Bill 2687 established the SPIRE Grant program in 2017 and assigned OEM as the grant administrator. Each piece of equipment must be a capital asset eligible for financing with tax-exempt bonds and have an individual minimum cost of $5,000. While the state purchases the equipment, the awardee is responsible for the maintenance, staffing and response. The state retains the option to request use of the equipment elsewhere if an emergency occurs.

Two rounds of SPIRE grants have been funded since the grant’s inception, with $5 million available each round. The first round, in 2019, funded 79 awardees with 81 pieces of equipment ranging from water purification trailers, mass casualty incident support trailers and high-axle all-terrain vehicles to portable power generators, fuel transportation tankers and mobile water tankers. In 2022, the second round funded 45 awardees with 61 pieces of equipment including the vehicle barrier systems, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, communications trailers, mobile command centers, sandbagging machines, tactical command vehicles and more. A third round will open later this year.

Qualified applicants include any organization responsible for or containing expertise in emergency preparedness that is a local government, special government body or a private 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at https://www.oregon.gov/oem/emresources/Grants/Pages/Spire.aspx.

Local Child Exploitation Task Force Investigation Leads to 75-Year Prison Sentence for Illinois Man

Ferris

A U.S. District Court judge sentenced an Illinois man to 75 years in federal prison April 17 after he was found guilty of conducting a sextortion scheme on Facebook with multiple victims ranging in ages from 11 to 17 years old.

Michael A. Ferris, 44, of Mill Shoals, Illinois, was convicted by a jury in November 2022 on 25 felony counts of extortion, cyberstalking, and production, distribution, and possession of child pornography. Following his 75-year prison sentence, he will serve the rest of his life on supervised release.

Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) began the investigation after receiving a report from a local child victim. Through further investigations, SOCET discovered 29 child victims throughout the United States and Canada. SOCET worked with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to identify the out-of-state victims and build the federal case.

“Combating child exploitation is a team effort and requires cooperation at the federal, state and local levels,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald. “The efforts to bring this individual to justice have resulted in one less predator on the streets who would look to victimize our children and endanger our communities.”

This conviction stems from a report Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) took May 8, 2020 of a sex offense in the Rogue Valley. The mother of a minor child victim reported her daughter came in contact with an unknown suspect posing as a friend on Facebook. Using threats and intimidation, the suspect coerced the juvenile to send him nude photos. SOCET took over the investigation and discovered Ferris victimized many other minor children sexually, including a victim in Salem, Ore.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ferris targeted teenage girls on Facebook and engaged in a pattern of extortion, commonly known as “sextortion” from at least March 2020 until November 2020. During the trial, a SOCET investigator traveled to Illinois to present evidence.

As part of his scheme, Ferris created fake Facebook personas appearing to be teenage girls. He joined Facebook groups for teenagers or young survivors of sexual abuse. Ferris sent unsolicited messages to teenage girls under the guise of being a peer looking to make a new friend. If the teens responded, Ferris tried to convince them to send a nude photograph or answer personal questions about themselves. Ferris then used that information as leverage to coerce them into sending more explicit photos, answering more sexual questions, or performing sexual acts while Ferris watched on video chat. If his victims refused to comply, or pleaded to stop, Ferris harassed and threatened them until they kept going, usually threatening to send the girls’ photos or answers to personal questions to their friends, parents, police, or child protective services. Even after Ferris’ victims complied with his demands, he would often still distribute their sexually explicit images to friends and family.

The investigation was conducted by agents from HSI – Springfield with assistance from HSI domestic and international offices, JCSO, Jefferson County Illinois Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, and Aurora Missouri Police Department. Victim and Witness Support was provided by the U.S. Attorneys’ Office from the Southern District of Illinois, the Eastern District of Missouri, and HSI.

SOCET enables local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with federal partners such as HSI, to effectively investigate and prosecute out-of-state suspects when they victimize children in our community. SOCET is a joint inter-agency task force that started in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation and human trafficking. The task force consists of investigators from JCSO, Grants Pass Police Department, and HSI; as well as prosecutors from our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County.

Trial Begins In Lawsuit Linking Pacific Power To 2020 Labor Day Fires

The class action suit claims that PacifiCorp’s equipment started several of the devastating wildfires that burned across Oregon during a historic wind event in 2020.

Jury selection began Monday for a trial in which utility company PacifiCorp will have to defend itself against claims that its negligence resulted in several of the devastating wildfires that burned across Oregon during a historic wind event in September 2020.

The class action lawsuit was first filed at the end of September 2020, shortly after the fires, by a Linn County couple who lost their homes to the Beachie Creek Fire. The complaint grew to include survivors of the Echo Mountain Fire in Lincoln County, the South Obenchain Fire in Jackson County, the 242 Fire in Klamath County and the Santiam Canyon Fire — the last one formed by the merger of multiple large fires, including Beachie Creek.

According to the complaint, Pacific Power and its parent company failed to de-energize power lines in areas of particular risk, despite forecasts warning of a historic wind event and extreme fire danger.

As a result, the lawsuit continues, trees brought down active power lines — sparking some of the fires that destroyed hundreds, if not thousands of homes, businesses and other structures, resulting in several deaths.

“This devastation could have been avoided if Defendants had turned off the power surging through their power lines,” the complaint alleges. “Instead, PacifiCorp and Pacific Power prioritized dollars over livelihoods and lives.”

In November, PacifiCorp settled with a couple who had sued over their losses in the Archie Creek Fire in Douglas County, another of the Labor Day weekend fires.

No such settlement has been reached in this case, and jury selection began Monday. Opening arguments are scheduled to begin Tuesday and the trial is expected to last into mid-June. Plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $1.6 billion.

In a filing Monday, PacifiCorp attorneys said there was no explicit request from government officials to de-energize power lines ahead of the storms.

The defense attorneys argued for the ability to cross-examine Nik Blosser, former Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s Chief of Staff, saying that the plaintiffs “intend to give him a starring role in testifying.”

PacifiCorp is a Portland-based company, and the trial will take place in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

As a result of these devastating fires and state-level rule changes, Oregon power companies have become more aggressive with power shutoffs in subsequent years. (SOURCE)

Traffic Stop Leads to Seizure of 100,000 Fentanyl Pills and More -Union County 

2023-04/1002/162950/2.jpg On April 21, 2023, at approximately 6:37 am, a Trooper from the La Grande Area Command stopped a vehicle traveling westbound on Interstate 84 near La Grande, Oregon.  While on the stop, the Trooper observed signs of criminal activity.
A search of the vehicle was conducted which led to the seizure of approximately 100,000 Fentanyl pills, 3 Kilograms of Heroin and 1 Kilogram of Fentanyl Powder.

This case is being investigated jointly by the Oregon State Police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Traffic Stop Leads to Seizure of 86 Pounds of Powdered Fentanyl and Methamphetamine – Marion County 

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On April 23, 2023, at about 9:15 a.m., An OSP Trooper out of the Salem Area Command stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation.  While on the stop, the Trooper observed signs of criminal activity and subsequently asked for consent to search the vehicle.

The driver denied consent but admitted to importing marijuana from California.

OSP K-9 Titan was deployed and alerted to a large duffel bag in the trunk.  An additional search of the vehicle revealed a large amount of various controlled substances.

51 lbs. of suspected Methamphetamine

31 lbs. of suspected powder fentanyl

9 lbs. of suspected cocaine

2 lbs. of suspected heroin

Both occupants of the vehicle were detained, interviewed, and charged with federal drug charges and lodged at the Multnomah County Jail.

This case is being investigated jointly by the Oregon State Police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and OSP. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Forestry department invites public comment on state forest management activities

Salem, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Forestry is inviting public comment on planned projects, timber sales and other management activities in state-owned forests in fiscal year 2024.

Through June 8, Oregonians can weigh in on draft Annual Operations Plans (AOPs) for state forests on the Astoria, Forest Grove, Klamath Falls, Tillamook, West Oregon, and Western Lane Districts. These plans lay out on-the-ground activities expected to take place in the coming fiscal year. State forests by law must provide economic, environmental, and social benefits to Oregonians. To achieve the legal mandate, these lands are managed to create healthy productive forests, high-quality habitat for native fish and wildlife, clean water, timber, revenues to rural communities, and recreation and education opportunities. Overall management policies and management goals are established in long-range Forest Management Plans and Implementation Plans. Annual Operations Plans describe activities to achieve the objectives and goals laid out in the longer-range plans. ODF is seeking input on the draft AOP summary documents, which can be viewed on the State Forests website.

Common topics included in an Annual Operations Plan include:

  • Timber harvest operations
  • Recreation improvement and maintenance projects
  • Forest road construction, maintenance, and improvements
  • Reforestation/replanting and young stand management activities
  • Habitat improvement for native species
  • Invasive species management

The most useful input speaks to these specific activities and whether they are consistent with longer-range plans, offers suggestions to improve efficiency or effectiveness, corrects errors, provides additional information, and is solution-oriented, understanding that state forests are working forests and by law must provide a variety of economic, environmental, and social benefits. Activities that affect fish and wildlife habitat are reviewed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, while operations that may affect threatened and endangered fish and wildlife habitat are shared with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Public comment on planned projects, timber sales and other management activities on the North Cascade District fiscal year 2024 Annual Operation Plan will be conducted separately.

ODF is offering several convenient avenues to comment on AOPs:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1109674113319848
Call us at 541-690-8806.  Or email us at Info@RogueValleyMagazine.com

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