Stupid people of the week

Apologies for missing this article last weekend. I got waylaid to help my mom go buy a new car. Which took far, far longer than it should have. She got a nice brand new Explorer ST. She insisted on the sport model. Doesn’t want to look like a grandma. 😀

Former Alexandria police chief pleads guilty after investigation into financial misconduct

The former Alexandria [Minnesota] police chief will serve four days in jail and pay $65,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to a gross misdemeanor charge of misconduct by a public official.

Rick Wyffels was originally charged with felony theft by swindle in April of 2022 after being accused of using his position as police chief to make unauthorized purchases with a city-issued credit card. During a year-long investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), sparked by the discovery of irregular financial records by the city, agents discovered that between Dec. 16, 2014, and July 7, 2020, Wyffels had used his city credit card to purchase computers, cell phones, televisions, security cameras, lawn care items and other merchandise not in use by the department.

In total, prosecutors said the items allegedly purchased by Wyffels during that period totaled nearly $66,000.

The plea agreement negotiated with Stearns County prosecutors calls for Wyffels to pay $65,000 to the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (which covered the losses), serve a 120-day jail sentence (with 116 of those stayed), and be on unsupervised probation for a year while maintaining a clean record.

Stearns County took over the case from Douglas County prosecutors to avoid a conflict of interest.

In a news release announcing the plea agreement, city officials made clear that since the discovery of wrongdoing and Wyffels’ retirement in 2020, Alexandria has implemented new policies and procedures for purchasing and credit card usage while emphasizing the importance of high ethical standards for its public employees.

“Although the city of Alexandria was subjected to an egregious abuse of power during Mr. Wyffels’ time of employment, our community can move on from this experience with honor and dignity,” reflected current Mayor Bobie Osterberg. “Alexandria is strong. We learn from experiences, and we grow together.”

Rick Wyffels served as Alexandria’s police chief from 2006 to 2020.

Four days in jail will really teach him a lesson!

Source; KARE 11

‘Vindicating’: County commissioner’s arrest violated her constitutional rights, judge rules

A U.S. district judge has ruled a Trumbull County commissioner’s constitutional rights were violated when her colleagues had her arrested during a public meeting after she criticized the sheriff.

“When I saw the decision, it was absolutely vindicating,” Commissioner Niki Frenchko said.

The 81-page opinion was issued Tuesday by U.S. District Court Judge J. Philip Calabrese.

“Here in America, we do not arrest our political opponents,” Judge Calabrese wrote. “This case tests that longstanding norm as well as our Constitution’s robust protections for free speech that allow us to criticize our representatives and public officials. Plaintiff Niki Frenchko won election to the three-member Board of County Commissioners of Trumbull County, Ohio. She was an outsider, and the only member of County government from her political party. As a public official, she used her position to needle the incumbents and, in her view, hold them accountable for their decisions. For their part, they viewed her as ignorant of the basic workings of county government and a nuisance, to put it mildly.”

Frenchko was arrested by two sheriff’s deputies during a July 2022 commissioners meeting, after she was critical of Sheriff Paul Monroe.

The deputies told Frenchko she was disrupting the public meeting. She was removed from the meeting and handcuffed.

The charge was later dismissed. Frenchko filed the federal lawsuit last March. She is represented by attorneys David Betras and Matt Miller-Novak.

Betras said the federal judge found that former Trumbull County commissioner Frank Fuda and current commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa, the sheriff and the two deputies “willfully violated Commissioner Niki Frenchko’s rights under the First and Fourth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution when they repeatedly attempted to silence her and prevent her from representing the interests of her constituents.

“The judge also stripped them of their sovereign immunity, which means they can be held individually liable for monetary damages,” Betras told the FOX 8 I-Team.

Source; Fox 8

Dad rages over probation for California audiologist who stabbed son 108 times: ‘A license to kill’

I’ve been told (repeatedly) that weed is a harmless drug…

A heartbroken dad warned a lenient California judge established a de facto “license to kill” by sentencing his son’s killer to probation this week after she stabbed him 108 times in a pot-induced frenzy.

“There is no respect and no responsibility for anything anymore,” Sean O’Melia told The Post Wednesday. “If you can stab someone 108 times and get probation, we’re going to have nothing but anarchy and chaos.”

Bryn Spejcher, now 33, had taken a hit of marijuana from a bong while at victim Chad O’Melia’s Thousand Oaks apartment in 2018 when she suddenly began attacking him with a knife.

Despite ingesting a single toke of a standard pot leaf, Spejcher was launched into an extended rage, stabbing the 26-year-old accountant 108 times.

Lawyers for Spejcher, an audiologist, argued that she wasn’t responsible for the bloody slaying because of her intoxicated state.

The Ventura County District Attorney initially charged Spejcher with manslaughter, before a new DA downgraded the rap to involuntary manslaughter.

The lesser charge carried a maximum term of five years.

But Ventura County Superior Court Judge David Worley declined to impose any jail time, instead opting for two years of probation and community service.

The wrist slap astounded O’Melia’s father, who said his son had only known his killer for a few weeks, after they met at a local dog park.

“She was given a free pass for murder,” he said. “I’ll say this without reservation. The judge was biased the whole time, during the whole case. And he proved it with this sentence.”

The parent said the weed had been purchased at a local dispensary, and that there were no other reports of it inducing psychotic episodes in others.

He said he believes that Spejcher had a predisposition that made her susceptible to marijuana-induced psychosis, but said she was deserving of jail time.

The father ripped Spejcher’s defense for shifting blame to his son, who had purchased the marijuana.

“My son did nothing to that girl,” he said. “He showed her nothing but kindness. She is the one that asked for it.”

O’Melia recalled getting a knock at his door after the incident and seeing two sheriff’s deputies standing in front of him.

The officers told him his son was dead, and that the scene was too gory for him to view.

“We’re just so angry, so disappointed,” he said. “There was no justice here.”

O’Melia said he was also concerned Spejcher — or someone else — could hurt somebody in the future, blame it on mind-altering substances, and receive little punishment.

“That judge just gave everyone in this state the license to kill,” he said.

Source; NY Post

‘Colorado Springs to Denver in 20 minutes’ video leads to YouTuber’s arrest warrant

A YouTuber known for his motorcycle videos that typically depict him riding at speeds far above the posted limit on public roadways has a warrant for his arrest by the Colorado State Patrol.

On Sept. 28, 2023, the YouTuber Gixxer Brah posted a video showing his ride from Colorado Springs to Denver, which took him about 20 minutes, and bragged about his high speed online. CSP said numerous drivers contacted the agency out of concern for the high speeds.

The Dallas Police Department, El Paso County District Attorney’s Office and Colorado State Patrol worked together and identified the rider as Rendon Dietzmann, 32, of Texas.

Dietzmann showed himself driving on Interstate 25 from Garden of the Gods Road in Colorado Springs to the Denver metro area, reaching speeds over 150 mph and exhibiting what police say are dangerous tactics to fast-gate traffic, including squeezing through gaps between vehicles and riding on the shoulder.

The video does not appear to be publicly posted anymore, but other videos on his channel highlight his speed in other dangerous situations.

The Colorado State Patrol said the video demonstrates a “complete disregard for safety” for himself and other motorists.

“Unfortunately, this YouTuber’s driving behavior is not unusual or out of the ordinary,” CSP said in a release. “Mr. Dietzmann has posted multiple videos from different parts of the country on his channel exhibiting similar driving actions.”

CSP issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of:

• Menacing — placed another person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury
• Engaged in a speed contest
• Reckless endangerment
• Reckless driving
• Speeding 40 mph over prima facie limit
• Engaged in an exhibition of speed
• Vehicle had no number plates attached

“Illegal and reckless driving behavior will not be tolerated in Colorado,” Sgt. Troy Kessler, of the Colorado State Patrol’s Public Affairs Office, said in a release. “We care too much for those traveling on our roadways to ignore the blatant disregard for the safety of others.”

This quarter, CSP is focusing its education efforts on its Keep Your Cool campaign to remind drivers to stay within the speed limit and not be aggressive drivers.

“This is an extreme example, but sadly a real one,” Kessler said in the release. “If you drive like this, you can expect to be arrested when you are located. This is the best outcome for a person who drives violently since the smallest mistake could result in his death or that of an innocent person in the area. We simply have ‘no tolerance’ towards someone who so blatantly disregards the well-being of the community.”

Earlier this month, the department shared that speeding was the leading causal factor of fatal and injury crashes in 2023.

Source; KDVR

Fish eater dies after cooking deadly pufferfish given to him as present

A Brazilian man named Magno Sergio Gomes tragically died after ingesting a poisonous pufferfish that packs enough venom to kill 30 humans.

“Magno had never cleaned pufferfish before,” the deceased’s sister Myrian Gomes Lopes told Newsflash of the tragic accident, which occurred over the weekend in Aracruz, Espirito Santa, Newsflash reported.

An unnamed friend had reportedly given Magno, 46, the deadly seafood as a gift, although its exact provenance remains unclear.

Brazil is reportedly home to 20 species of pufferfish — also known as blowfish — a dozen of which live in Espirito Santa.

Despite never having handled the species before, the Brazilian and his buddy gutted the fish, removed its liver and then boiled and ate it with lemon juice.

Less than an hour later, both Magno and his friend fell seriously ill. “Magno started to feel numb in his mouth,” his distraught sister described.

Alarmed, the patient drove himself to the hospital, whereupon the numbness spread and he went into cardiac arrest for 8 minutes.

Magno was specifically suffering from the effects of tetrodotoxin, an extremely potent poison that originates in the liver and gonads of pufferfish and other marine species, the US Centers for Disease Control reported.

Used by the blowfish to deter predators, the toxin is over 1,000 times deadlier than cyanide with no known antidote.

When ingested in large quantities, it interferes with the “transmission of signals from nerves to muscles” and paralyzes the muscles, potentially leading to death.

Myrian revealed that her brother was intubated and put on life support but to no avail. Magno passed away on January 27 after spending 35 days in the hospital, during which his system was paralyzed by the toxin.

“The doctors told our family that he died from poisoning, which had quickly traveled to his head,” the bereaved relative described. “Three days after being admitted, he had several seizures, which greatly affected his brain, leaving little chance of recovery.”

Miraculously, Magno’s buddy survived, but is having trouble with his legs.

“He’s not walking very well,” Myrian said. “He was neurologically impacted, but he is recovering.”

Interestingly, raw pufferfish is considered a delicacy in Japan, where it is locally known as fugu.

Gourmands reportedly enjoy the slight buzz that comes with ingesting trace amounts of the toxin.

Due to the dish’s dangerous nature, only licensed fugu chefs are allowed to prepare it.

“We take pride in preparing blowfish safely,” declared Ueno Ken’ichir?, owner of the fugu restaurant Fuku no Seki in the Yamaguchi Prefecture.

While Japan reportedly sees around 50 poisoning incidents per year, the majority occur when amateurs try and take a stab at it, as was the case with Magno.

Source; NY Post

Category: "Teh Stoopid", Crime, Police, Stupid Criminals