Weekend Arrest Ends Search for Convicted Sex Offender

Des Moines, IA – On Friday, August 31, 2012, the U.S. Marshals Southern Iowa Fugitive Task Force requested the public’s assistance in the search for convicted sex offender Courtney Cortez Chestnut, 29, of Des Moines. Chestnut was wanted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for failure to register as a sex offender (2nd offense) and escape.

On Saturday evening, September 1, 2012, acting on a tip called into the Des Moines Police Department, Des Moines Police Officers arrested Chestnut at a residence in the 2000 block of 22nd Street in Des Moines. Chestnut was booked into the Polk County Jail where he is currently being held on $5,000 cash bond.

“This is just another example of the good, law-abiding citizens of Des Moines working together with law enforcement to make our communities a safer place to live,” said Michael R. Bladel, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Iowa. “I would like to thank the anonymous tipster, the media, and the Des Moines Police Department for their swift response to our request for assistance.”

The Southern Iowa Fugitive Task Force is a cooperative effort of the U.S. Marshals, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

Lake Wales Man Charged with Child Pornography Offenses

TAMPA—United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Clinton Duane Pancake (37, Riverview) with receipt, distribution, and transportation of child pornography. If convicted on all counts, Pancake faces a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison.

The complaint alleges that Pancake distributed 14 images of child pornography over the Internet to an undercover agent in March 2012. Pancake admitted to downloading child pornography over the Internet, viewing it on his computer, and deleting it. Until recently, Pancake was Director of Student Activities at Warner University in Lake Wales, Florida.

A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”

Greene County Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Morrisville Bank at Knife-Point

SPRINGFIELD, MO—Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Greene County, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to robbing a Morrisville, Mo., bank at knife-point.

Daryl Williams, 50, of Greene County, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard E. Dorr to the charge contained in an Aug. 23, 2011, federal indictment.

Williams admitted that he stole approximately $3,000 from Farmer’s State Bank, 1168 Maple St., Morrisville. According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Williams entered the bank at approximately 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, 2011. Williams had a nylon panty hose stocking pulled over his head and face and was wearing a baseball cap.

Williams was brandishing a knife with a wooden handle and a six- to eight-inch blade, the affidavit says. He ordered two employees to give him money and they handed over money from their teller drawers. Williams left the bank and drove away in a red/maroon extended cab Ford F-150 truck headed east on Missouri Highway 215 in the direction of Missouri Highway 13. Bank employees notified law enforcement of the bank robbery and provided a description of the vehicle.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. the same day, law enforcement officers with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and an officer with the Missouri Department of Conservation stopped Williams’ vehicle on a gravel side road near the intersection of Highway 215 and Highway 13. Officials found a substantial amount of money in the vehicle and Williams was arrested.

Under federal statutes, Williams is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the FBI.

Greene County Man Charged with Robbing Morrisville Bank at Knife-Point

SPRINGFIELD, MO—Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Greene County, Mo., man was charged in federal court today with robbing a Morrisville, Mo., bank at knife-point yesterday.

Daryl Williams, 50, of Greene County, was charged in a federal criminal complaint that was filed in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo. Williams remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing.

Today’s complaint alleges that Williams stole approximately $3,000 from Farmer’s State Bank, 1168 Maple St., Morrisville. According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s complaint, Williams entered the bank at approximately 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, 2011. Williams allegedly had a nylon panty hose stocking pulled over his head and face and was wearing a baseball cap.

Williams was brandishing a knife with a wooden handle and a six- to eight-inch blade, the affidavit says. He allegedly told a bank employee working behind the counter, “This is a robbery,” and ordered the employee to give him money. The employee gave Williams the money from the teller drawer, the affidavit says, then Williams told another employee at an adjacent teller station, “Give me your 100s, 50s and 20s.” As Williams said this, he allegedly tapped the knife on the teller counter. The employee handed over the money from the teller drawer.

According to the affidavit, Williams left the bank and drove away in a red/maroon extended cab Ford F-150 truck headed east on Missouri Highway 215 in the direction of Missouri Highway 13. Bank employees notified law enforcement of the bank robbery and provided a description of the vehicle.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. the same day, law enforcement officers with the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and an officer with the Missouri Department of Conservation stopped Williams’ vehicle on a gravel side road near the intersection of Highway 215 and Highway 13. Officials found a substantial amount of money in the vehicle and Williams was arrested.

Phillips cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the FBI.

Florida Cop Writers

Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Police-Writers.com added three Florida cop writers: Art Smith, Susan Goreck and Ronald Hunter.

Art Smith had a career in law enforcement from 1970 to 1986. His book, My Life in the Blue Parade details his career beginning with the Wadsworth Police Department (Ohio). He explores the “unusual conflicts of a police officer with the public, other police officers, administrators, and family.” A divorce sees Smith moving to Florida and joining the Fort Lauderhill Police Department. According to the book, “after a couple years, because of internal problems, he moves back to Ohio on a promise of a position by a sheriff’s office. The promise was broken and he worked temporarily at the Marietta Police Department as a dispatcher. Art Smith returns to Florida and works five years as a police officer for the Sunrise Police Department. Again, according to the book description, “unprofessional and unethical treatment by his supervisors and another police officer made him lose all desire to remain in law enforcement any longer.”

Susan Goreck is a deputy sheriff with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (Florida). Her book, Poisoned Mind, tells the story of her year undercover investigating a murder suspect. According to the book description, “Many of us have had neighbors whose loud music, objectionable habits, or destruction of property get on our nerves. This is the story of a man who got so annoyed, he poisoned his neighbors with an extremely painful nerve toxin. The personalities are what make the book: the cartoon-character nerd who was a disgruntled househusband to a female orthopedist, the quietly charming policewoman who went undercover to get the goods on him, the loving Southern family who suffered so much. And there's a revelation at the end of the story that will appall you. As the New York Times wrote, "Florida, the cradle of creepiness in detective fiction, offers up some weird criminals in real life, too.... The authors are good at portraying the oddly disconnected society of small-town Florida, as well as the man who almost committed the perfect crime there."

Ronald D. Hunter is Professor and Head of the Department of Applied Criminology at Western Carolina University. He has also taught at the State University of West Georgia (1999-2005), Jacksonville State University (1989-1999) and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (1988-1989). He received his Ph.D. in Criminology from The Florida State University. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Ronald Hunter was a Sergeant with the Tallahassee Police Department (Florida). He has published a number of articles, book chapters dealing with crime prevention and law enforcement, and books related to law enforcement and criminology. Dr. Hunter is on the Executive Board of Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and has been honored in “Who’s Who Among American Teachers” (2004) as well as other prestigious acknowledgements. His books include: Police-Community Relations and the Administration of Justice; Crime and Criminality: Causes and Consequences; Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 474 police officers (representing 202 police departments) and their 986 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.