Former Ledford teacher convicted of abuse with student
DAVIDSON COUNTY — A former teacher and tennis coach at Ledford High School who was arrested in July 2023 and charged with coercing a student into sexual acts, including on school property, has been convicted.
Andrew John Myers, 30, of Winston-Salem, was found guilty in Davidson County Superior Court earlier this month. Myers must stay on the N.C. Sex Offender Registry for a minimum of 10 years, according to information from a State Bureau of Investigation website.
Myers' sentence includes a sentence of three years' probation, said Davidson County Sheriff Richie Simmons.
Myers originally was arrested and charged with 18 counts of felony sexual activity with a student by a teacher, 18 counts of felony indecent liberties with a student and two counts of felony second-degree forcible sex.
The charges were filed after administrators with Davidson County Schools learned about allegations of an inappropriate relationship between a faculty member and a 17-year-old female student at Ledford High School.
School officials then contacted the Davidson County Sheriff's Office. Myers was suspended from his duties and later fired.
Investigators determined that Myers had used his authority to groom and pressure the student into a relationship that is believed to have lasted for approximately three months and involved sexual encounters on and off school property, the sheriff's office said.
Myers was a science teacher as well as the head coach for boys and girls tennis teams.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
6 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Silicon Beach exec alleges ‘shake down' by investor ousted during #MeToo era
A Silicon Beach entrepreneur and her investor are suing each other — part of a growing legal brawl that includes a dispute over a private jet, claims of a lesbian workplace affair and allegations of a sexual assault in a West Hollywood hotel. On May 14, Mahway founder Jessica Mah sued D Global Ventures Chief Executive Justin Caldbeck in Los Angeles Superior Court, saying he groped her and repeatedly solicited her for sex, then attempted extortion and defamed her to other investors when she rejected him. Hours after Mah's claim was docketed, Caldbeck filed his own suit, saying Mah 'seduced investors' with false promises and used money she raised to prop up her 'ersatz glamorous lifestyle' — including spending company cash on a private jet. 'Justin Caldbeck's claims collapse under the weight of the very documents he read, approved, and signed,' a spokesman for Mah said. 'Jessica Mah will not be intimidated. We expect the court to deliver a penalty to Caldbeck as substantial as his gross misconduct.' A spokesperson for Caldbeck, Sallie Hofmeister, countered with a statement that called Mah's lawsuit 'nothing more than a calculated effort ... to distract from credible accusations that they have misused millions of dollars of investor funds.' 'Nearly a year ago, she explicitly threatened to weaponize past allegations against Mr. Caldbeck if he pursued legal claims related to fraud and embezzlement against her,' Hofmeister said. Mah has maintained a jet-piloting, Lamborghini-racing, party-DJ persona on Instagram and tech industry podcasts. Caldbeck became an early face of Silicon Valley's #MeToo reckoning when he issued a public apology and left the company he co-founded after multiple Asian American entrepreneurs accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017. Their court battle — one of the ugliest to hit L.A.'s tech scene in years — erupted at a moment of cultural crisis for the industry. Many companies have abandoned efforts to root out 'bro culture,' with polarizing figures such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg embracing President Trump's anti-woke agenda. At the same time, economic uncertainty has led to mass layoffs and forced companies to do away with luxurious perks for employees. How Mah spends her company's money and treats her team is the focus of other ongoing litigation. On May 15, two former Mahway employees — ex-President Walter Delph and William Mulholland, who served as chief financial officer — sued her for wrongful termination and whistleblower retaliation. Both are represented by Caldbeck's longtime lawyer, Ivo Labar. All three of the lawsuits filed against Mah allege that she 'holds herself out as a 'unicorn breeder,'' using an industry term for companies valued at more than $1 billion. 'In reality, Mah is a charlatan living on investors funds intended for Mahway's portfolio of startup companies, the majority of which are only 'unicorns' in the sense that they are also imaginary,' Caldbeck and Mulholland's suits both claim. The men's complaints accuse Mah of using company funds for personal expenses and structuring investment payouts to unfairly benefit her. Mahway is operated out of her rented West Hollywood mansion, with the company footing the bill, the suits allege. Mah said on a recent podcast appearance that the rental cost is $16,500 per month. Delph additionally accused Mah of age discrimination and sexual harassment, claiming she called him an 'old man' and carried on a public affair with Mahway founding partner Andrea Barrica — a relationship both women deny. According to Delph's suit, Mah 'would rub Barrica's upper inner thighs' during company meetings. That allegation is similar to one Mah leveled against Caldbeck. In her May 14 lawsuit, she alleged he 'touched the upper-most part of [her] thigh and put his hand next to her genitalia,' during a business meeting at the Pendry Hotel in 2022. Caldbeck's spokeswoman Hofmeister, who also represents Delph, called Mah's claims 'nothing more than a smokescreen to deflect attention' from the fraud allegations being leveled against her. 'Ms. Mah's lawsuit is meritless and the latest example of her bullying tactics,' Hofmeister said. Mah fired back at Delph on May 15 with a raft of civil conspiracy charges, filing a suit that alleged he colluded with Caldbeck and Mulholland to smear her and 'shake down' the company. The three men say their suits were filed independently of one another. Mulholland said he was forced to resign this year 'in order to avoid engaging in illegal activities at Mah's direction,' according to his May 15 suit. Barrica has also jumped into the fray, accusing Caldbeck of sexual harassment and extortion in a lawsuit filed May 20. Barrica claims he repeatedly tried to climb on top of her and kiss her in an Uber after a business meeting in Paris. The Mahway executive says Caldbeck tried to 'leverage his repulsive behavior by threatening to spread objectively false allegations that Ms. Barrica was in a sexual and romantic relationship' with Mah. Barrica alleges Caldbeck pressured her to join his 'unhinged and baseless campaign to destroy Ms. Mah.' According to Barrica's complaint — filed by Mah's longtime lawyer— when Mah learned of the alleged incident, she confided about her own experiences with Caldbeck. The two women agreed to try to maintain a professional relationship with the investor while limiting contact, Barrica's suit said. That seemed to work until a blowup over executive payouts in September. Days before the first complaints were filed in the spring, Barrica reached out to Caldbeck 'to make one last appeal for peace,' according to her complaint. By Barrica's account, the truce offer didn't go over well. 'Even if Jess said that I raped her, I wouldn't care,' Caldbeck said, according to Barrica's suit. 'My investors wouldn't care either.' According to Mulholland's and Delph's suits, Caldbeck's spat with Mah over payouts led the executives to probe the company's operations. Both said in their claims they concluded she was bilking investors. Delph contends in his complaint that he was fired after raising those concerns to his boss. Mulholland felt forced to resign amid growing fear he would be left holding the bag for Mah's misdeeds, per his suit. Caldbeck's suit said his investment company has 'suffered millions of dollars in damages' from Mahway's mismanagement. His spokeswoman said he looks forward to setting the record straight. 'Mr. Caldbeck is confident the truth will continue to emerge and Ms. Mah's allegations will be shown for what they are,' Hofmeister said.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Despite ‘tense' exchange in Karen Read trial, Boston Police officer unlikely to face blowback
Even in a trial filled with dramatic twists, Boston Police officer Kelly Dever's testimony this week in the Karen Read retrial stuck out for just how tense her exchanges with a lawyer representing Read actually were. Dever, who worked in Canton at the time of Read's arrest, was called by the defense Monday morning. On the stand, she faced aggressive questioning from Alan Jackson, one of Read's lawyers, about a statement she made to federal investigators looking into the death of Read's boyfriend, John O'Keefe. On the morning of Jan. 29, 2022, when O'Keefe's body was found, Dever was working an overnight patrol shift in Canton. A supervisor asked her to cover dispatch so he could respond to the scene. Dever, according to Jackson, told federal authorities she saw the department's then-chief, Ken Berkowitz, and another man, Brian Higgins, alone with Read's SUV for a 'wildly long time.' But Dever has since recanted that statement, saying on the stand this week it was a false memory. She could not have seen Berkowitz and Higgins, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with the SUV, because her shift concluded at 3:45 p.m., she said. The SUV wasn't towed to the station until hours later. Still, Dever's testimony in the Read case is unlikely to have any impact on her ability to testify in other cases down the line, said Jack Lu, a retired Superior Court judge. 'A failure of memory in one case is not admissible in another case. This is black letter law,' he said. But Mark Bederow, a defense attorney following the trial from New York City, said Dever's 'ridiculous claim' that her memory was false would concern him going forward. Bederow, who also represents the blogger Aidan Kearney, said Dever's recollection to the FBI was so specific that it makes it difficult to believe what she saw didn't actually happen. Dever admitted on the stand that Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox called her to a meeting before she testified in the Read case. Jackson suggested Cox told her to 'do the right thing' during that meeting. 'I think it's clear a message was sent,' Bederow said. 'Most people would think 'do the right thing' means the 'Blue Wall.'' Dever said the meeting with Cox proved how good a leader he is. But Bederow said it is 'absolutely unheard of' for a police commissioner to speak to a low-level officer before they testify in a trial. Still, Bederow and Lu agreed that Dever's behavior on the stand would likely not come back to haunt her in other cases. Bederow described her demeanor as 'embarrassing' and 'beyond inappropriate.' There was 'no need for her open hostility and nastiness,' he said in a telephone interview. 'It was childlike.' In one memorable moment, Dever criticized Jackson for mispronouncing her name. 'Like you can't remember my name, I don't remember,' she said. Despite his criticisms, Bederow said, 'I don't know if the hostility component will impact her future career in terms of testifying.' Lu, the former judge, disputed the notion that Dever was 'confrontational' on the stand. 'Sorry, but not even close. At most, the witness examination was tense. A trial is not a tea party,' he said. Karen Read reveals when the defense could rest its case Karen Read trial recap: Canton snowplow driver describes passing 34 Fairview Road during storm Karen Read trial recap: 'Not completely damaged': police officer describes SUV taillight Karen Read trial recap: Injuries on John O'Keefe's arm result of dog attack, expert says Karen Read retrial: Biggest takeaways from week 6 as prosecution rests its case Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Wyoming man arrested for Motel 6 stabbing
Jun. 5—A 68-year-old man was arrested in Wyoming on Wednesday for allegedly stabbing a man earlier this week at the Motel 6 in Clarkston. Thomas R. Krogman, 68, of Gillette, Wyo., is charged with first-degree attempted murder in Asotin County Superior Court. He is accused of attacking a 72-year-old man Monday morning in the lobby of the motel on Bridge Street. Police have determined Krogman is the brother-in-law of the victim. Krogman was taken into custody by the Gillette Police Department, based on a warrant issued by the Asotin County Prosecutor's Office and Clarkston Police Department. He will be transported to Asotin County to face the charge. Clarkston police were able to develop information and evidence that led to the arrest, according to a news release issued by Police Chief Josh Daniel. Police determined it was a personal attack and not a random incident, Daniel said. The investigators are still working on a motive and whether there are any accomplices. The victim, Daniel Henry, is the motel manager. Henry was last listed in stable condition after suffering multiple stab wounds, including one to the face, according to the probable-cause affidavit. When the suspect walked into the motel, he reportedly asked Henry if he remembered him. The manager said "not really," police reported in the affidavit. The man pulled a knife and first stabbed Henry in the right side of his head. He also grabbed a phone off the counter and threw it, according to the report. Daily headlines, straight to your inboxRead it online first and stay up-to-date, delivered daily at 7 AM After police arrived, witnesses at the scene described the suspect, saying he parked on the 400 block of Third Street in a red sedan before entering the motel. He sat in his car for about 10 to 15 minutes before heading toward the front office. A few minutes later, a witness saw the man running back to his vehicle and then driving east on Bridge Street. Henry was reportedly stabbed eight times during the incident. According to the probable-cause affidavit, Henry is also from Wyoming. After the red car's license plate was identified in surveillance videos, it came back to Thomas and Phyllis Krogman in Gillette. When questioned by police, Henry said Thomas Krogman is his brother-in-law. He had not seen him in approximately six years, but his sister, Phyllis, had contacted him recently by phone, according to court documents. During those conversations, his sister brought up an incident that happened 60 years ago, he told police. Based on the investigation, it appears Thomas Krogman was in Clarkston on Monday, driving a red Chevy Malibu. He matched the description of the suspect in the stabbing case and was identified by the victim during further questioning. According to police, Krogman reportedly drove home to Wyoming, where he was arrested on the Class A felony charge. Prosecutor Curt Liedkie is handling the case for the state of Washington. Chief Daniel said he appreciates the Lewiston Police Department for help on the case. The LPD used its new FLOCK cameras and automated license plate recognition system to locate the suspect vehicle. Daniel also complimented the Gillette Police Department for the swift response and apprehension of Krogman. "The collaboration and cooperation by all law enforcement agencies involved shows a committed effort to keep each community safe," Daniel said. Sandaine can be reached at kerris@
