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Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Yellowstone tourist's idiotic defense for hitting worker with his Jeep
An Oregon man visiting Yellowstone National Park struck a park employee with his Jeep during a construction-related delay, later claiming he was in a rush because he had to urinate. David Tyler Regnier, 67, of Bend, was driving near Canyon Junction last year when a traffic delay caused by road work backed up vehicles for as long as 45 minutes, according to a press release from the US Attorney's Office. Frustrated, he attempted to bypass the construction zone, but when a Yellowstone employee tried to stop him, Regnier only accelerated, striking the employee and knocking him backward. The 67-year-old argued that he suffered from a medical condition and was taken to the hospital later that day, claiming he had ultimately urinated on himself due to the extended delay, Jackson Hole News & Guide reported. However, a federal jury convicted Regnier last month of assaulting a federal employee with a dangerous weapon - namely, his vehicle, according to the official release. 'Our office will take a strong stance against the frequent acts of violence directed at public servants who are merely doing their jobs to protect the community,' Acting US Attorney Stephanie Sprecher said in a statement. On September 8, 2024, two Yellowstone National Park employees directing traffic near Canyon Junction amid road construction spotted a Jeep approaching the intersection from the wrong direction. The driver, later identified as Regnier, was attempting to bypass the backed-up traffic, ignoring warnings and road flaggers in the process. Regnier was driving near Canyon Junction (pictured) last year when a traffic delay caused by construction backed up vehicles for as long as 45 minutes - but the 67-year-old man attempted to bypass the blockages driving the opposite direction As he approached the park employees, Regnier voiced his frustration over how traffic was being managed through the construction zone, reportedly telling the flaggers he urgently needed to use a restroom. One employee sternly told Regnier he couldn't proceed and needed to back up, while the other stood in front of the Jeep, holding a stop sign like a shield, according to the press release. But instead of complying, Regnier put his foot on the gas, accelerating into the employee and physically knocking him backward - though the worker managed to leap out of the way just in time to avoid injury. The confrontation finally came to an end when park rangers intercepted Regnier at Trout Creek along Grand Loop Road, as reported by JH News & Guide. According to the court report obtained by the outlet, Regnier, who reportedly suffers from a medical condition, had already urinated in his pants by the time he was stopped by officers. Regnier was initially charged with three misdemeanors, including failure to comply with a traffic control device, according to JH News & Guide. In November 2024, just two months later, a grand jury charged Regnier with one count of assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. In this case, prosecutors argued, the weapon was Regnier's Jeep. Regnier's attorney, Ryan Wright, detailed his client's version of events, outlined in an April court filing obtained by Cowboy State Daily. He claimed that as he attempted to turn left, one of the park employees suddenly 'jumped in front of Mr. Regnier's moving Jeep, attempting to stop the Jeep with his bare hands'. The supervising flagger then reportedly told him to get back in line, but Regnier insisted he urgently needed to go to the bathroom, claiming the supervisor 'would not listen'. According to the court filing, Wright stated that the employee refused to move and continued attempting to stop Regnier's Jeep using both his body and hands. Eventually, Wright said, the park employee stepped to the side of the Jeep and struck the vehicle with his stop/slow signs as Regnier drove away. Using camera footage from the incident, Wright quoted the park employee who was struck by the Jeep - though he wasn't injured from the shove, according to Cowboy State Daily. 'Do you think this is something that I can sue the guy for and maybe get some money?' the worker asked another person, according to the filing. 'What if I say I was too scared to flag ever again,' he added. 'Play the system. You know.' In the filing, Wright stated that Regnier had just changed his blood pressure medication about a week earlier at the request of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to maintain his pilot's license. Wright wrote that the 67-year-old man experienced medical issues on the day of the incident, explaining how he felt unwell and had elevated blood pressure. According to the filing, law enforcement took Regnier to the hospital later that day, believing he was suffering from a heart attack. However, he was ultimately released from the hospital's care late that night. 'Mr. Regnier was very remorseful,' Wright wrote, as reported by Cowboy State Daily. On May 14, the court denied a motion to dismiss the charge against Regnier, which had argued that his urgent need to urinate - and uncertainty over whether national park flaggers were considered federal employees - justified dropping his case, as reported by JH News & Guide. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook led the prosecution in the case, which was tried over three days before U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin. On May 21, Regnier was found guilty of the felony charge following the three-day trial in Cheyenne's US District Court, according to the US Attorney's Office press release. He now faces up to a $250,000 fine, $100 special assessment and 20 years in federal prison with three years of supervised release to follow. Sentencing has since been set for August 7.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Drug dealer busted near Colorado State Capitol after undercover police officer offered 'dope'
A Denver man was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison Friday after an undercover police officer was approached near the Colorado State Capitol and offered to "dope" and "blues." Derris Mayberry, 37, received a 110-month sentence following two guilty verdicts in two separate federal trials. The juries convicted Mayberry of distributing fentanyl and possessing a firearm. Mayberry, having previously served time in the Colorado Department of Corrections for robbery and drug convictions, was not legally permitted to have a gun. Mayberry, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado that prosecuted his cases, was arrested after the exchanging $20 for "blues," an informal code name for fentanyl pills, with the undercover officer. The deal took place the evening of March 22, 2024, in an alley near the Colorado State Capitol. An undated file photo showing fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills collected as evidence during a federal investigation. U.S. Attorneys Office for Utah via AP The deal was set up by a female friend of Mayberry's. The undercover officer was conducting surveillance when the female friend made the offer and lead the undercover officer into the alley to meet Mayberry. Several officers arrested Mayberry at a nearby bus stop minutes after the exchange in the alley. A loaded .22 caliber revolver was found in his shorts pocket. More fentanyl pills were also found during his pat down. Cops surveilling a UC op were approached by a woman offering fentanyl. She led them to dealer Derris Mayberry, 37, a multi-convicted felon, After thedrug handoff behind CO state capitol, Mayberry was arrested. He's now convicted for distributing fentanyl & being illegally armed. — ATF Denver (@ATF_Denver) February 11, 2025 Audio of the drug deal's negotiation was recorded by a device worn by the undercover officer, according to prosecutors. The hand-to-hand exchange was also witnessed by several officers prior to their taking Mayberry into custody. "What began as great, proactive police work ended with an armed dealer of dangerous narcotics being sentenced to prison to a lengthy term," stated Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas in the DOJ's press release. "The Denver Police Department, in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and U.S. Attorney's Office, remain committed to stopping the availability of dangerous drugs in Denver." Friday's federal sentence is the longest yet given to Mayberry. His earlier state sentences were for two-, five- and six-year terms.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Columbus woman sentenced to over 20 years for sexually abusing toddler
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Columbus woman will serve over two decades in prison after pleading guilty to the sexual abuse of a toddler. According to U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio, 29-year-old Becky Gillespie pleaded guilty to the sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography. Court documents state that in December 2023, Gillespie sent Snapchat videos, or offered to send videos, to other users depicting her in sex acts and sexually explicit conduct with a 3-year-old girl. One person dead after Mifflin Township house fire In early January, Homeland Security Investigations initiated an investigation due to information obtained from the Australian Federal Police, which alleged that Gillespie sent three photos and nine videos via Snapchat using the handle 'beckygilles2023.' Of the nine videos, three of them displayed Gillespie engaging in sex acts with the girl. Gillespie was arrested on Jan. 12, and she entered a plea agreement on Dec. 16. On Tuesday, she was sentenced to 23 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children and 20 years in prison for the distribution of child pornography. Those sentences, however, are to run concurrently. Additionally, Gillespie was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release on both counts and is ordered to pay the victim $3,000 in restitution. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Grant County man sentenced to 10-year federal prison term
ELKINS, — Cabins resident Wesley Shane Haggerty, 37, was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in federal prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm, according to the Office of the U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of West Virginia. According to court documents, Pendleton County sheriff's deputies were called to a disturbance involving a firearm. When officers arrived at the home, Haggerty was arrested after a short foot pursuit. Haggerty had a pistol and is prohibited from having firearms because of seven prior felony convictions and two misdemeanor domestic battery convictions. Haggerty will serve three years' of supervised release following his prison sentence. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pendleton County Sheriff's Office investigated.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Four mayoral candidates have balked at public financing. Uballez is the latest
May 30—Alex Uballez ended his efforts to seek public financing on Friday, becoming the latest Albuquerque mayoral candidate to do so. The former U.S. Attorney for New Mexico, in a news conference Friday, lambasted a system that he said favors well-established candidates over those with less infrastructure. The public financing system is designed to reduce the influence of large donors in local elections. Uballez and others have said that following the rules, particularly those surrounding the $5 collections, is like running an impossible obstacle course. "I still believe in public financing," Uballez told the Journal. "I think how it's currently structured, and maybe the goals you have to attain, reward those with political connections and close the door on political newcomers like myself." To be awarded about $750,000 in public financing, Albuquerque requires candidates to collect 3,780 donations of $5 each from registered voters. All contributions must be accepted within a 64-day period between April 19 and June 21. In that same time frame, candidates must also collect 3,000 signatures to ensure they're featured on the ballot. Uballez said he initially opted for public financing because he believed in the system. But as the deadline for contributions and signatures nears, he made a different choice. "The idealist in me, which has always driven my every decision, said, 'Yeah, this thing makes sense, this thing I believe in. And you know what, I think I can hit it.' But the reality of campaigning, as I've learned over the past five weeks, is that it's quite a tall order," Uballez said. The City Clerk's website states that Uballez collected 714 contributions — about 19% of what's needed — before withdrawing. Uballez's news conference Friday was one of his first public appearances since starting his race. He is the fourth candidate to withdraw from public financing. Before him, Alpana Adair withdrew after collecting seven verified contributions, Patrick Sais withdrew after collecting two, and Eddie Varela withdrew after collecting 95. "I was of the belief that it would help just a regular guy or gal run for office and would be a great benefit to everybody," Varela told the Journal. "I don't believe that anymore. I believe it's flawed, and it needs to be revisited." Varela shared many of the same frustrations as Uballez. He said Mayor Tim Keller's name recognition, combined with more political infrastructure, like volunteers and established relationships with nonprofits, gives the incumbent an advantage when it comes to collecting contributions. Keller finds success in publicly financed campaigns Keller has relied on public financing for all three of his mayoral campaigns, according to city clerk records. In 2021, Keller was the only candidate to receive public financing after the city clerk rejected challenger Manny Gonzales' public financing bid. In that case, the clerk's office found that Gonzales forged voter signatures and donations, something Gonzales denied having a personal connection to. Keller's other challenger, Eddy Aragon, relied on private financing. Keller's first election in 2019 saw a crowded field of 14 candidates, but he was the only candidate to rely on public financing. The public financing system has been in place since 2005, but it has undergone several major revisions. In 2011, a U.S. Supreme Court case overturned an Arizona law that affected Albuquerque's law. The court ruled that cities could not provide funds for publicly financed campaigns that matched those of privately financed ones. After that, fewer candidates utilized the system. In 2019, a ballot measure to reform public financing by increasing the amount of money mayoral candidates could receive, and allowing residents to direct $25 vouchers to candidates of their choice, narrowly failed. In a statement, Keller rebuffed the idea that the rules favor incumbents. Qualifying for public financing isn't supposed to be easy, his campaign said. "So complaining that public financing doesn't work is like blaming the ref because you can't hit your free throws — it's not the system's fault you're falling short. The real issue isn't the rules; it's a lack of grassroots support, campaign credibility, and the organizational strength to lead," the statement said. Keller's statement notes that public financing was one of Albuquerque's most critical democratic reforms, keeping campaigns focused on voters rather than big donors or special interests. City clerk data shows that Keller has collected 2,044 contributions, about 54% of what he needs for this election cycle. 'Incumbent protection plan' But in this election, it doesn't appear — at least for now — that Keller will be the only candidate using public financing. Louie Sanchez and Darren White are both seeking public financing. But neither is happy about it. "The only person who has qualified for it in the past two elections is Tim Keller," White said. "And so what does that tell you? It tells you that the system is, as I said, it's an incumbent protection plan." White told the Journal he was sticking with public financing for now. He has collected 1,266 contributions, or approximately 33%. Sanchez, on the other hand, said he was considering withdrawing from public financing and would take the weekend to make a decision. He has collected 619 contributions so far, which is about 16% of what he needs. "There's a very, very good chance that I may opt out too," Sanchez said.
