Wyoming News Briefs

Campbell County hospitalizations for RSV on the rise

 GILLETTE (WNE) — Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, cases at Campbell County Health rose in the last two months, keeping with recent trends seen throughout the United States.

Typically, the virus starts to make an appearance in January or spring, but this year, cases have shown up earlier, said Sherry Bailey, director of acute care at the hospital. In September, Bailey said those tested for RSV at the hospital had no positive cases. In October, the number increased to 5% and those tested for RSV at the hospital in November totaled about 19%.

“Over the last month, we’re averaging about four to five kids hospitalized with RSV on any given day and there would be more in the community who don’t come into the hospital,” she said.

Although it appears something like a cold, Bailey said the virus is more than that and has been around a long time. There is no vaccine to prevent the disease.

The virus is common and is often seen in babies and children younger than two years old, as well as some adults. It makes people sick by inflaming the nose, throat, lungs and breathing passages, which can in turn lead to pneumonia or bronchitis.

“This year we’ve also had 4-5 year olds coming in and it can also affect older adults, especially if they have some chronic illness,” Bailey said. “The adults are normally over 65 and are usually quite sick.”

The virus is highly contagious so if there is a sick child, it can easily spread to other children. But the good thing is, the virus can also be prevented. Kids washing their hands, not sharing toys and staying home when sick all decrease the spread of the virus.

Cheyenne man pleads guilty in mother’s stabbing

 CHEYENNE (WNE) — A local man pleaded guilty last week to charges related to the January 2021 stabbing of his mother. 

Antonio Jose Landeroz on Nov. 23 pleaded guilty in Laramie County District Court to aggravated assault and battery with serious bodily injury, along with felony theft. Landeroz, then 19 years old, had been accused of stabbing his mother with a kitchen knife in her apartment and fleeing in her car, according to a probable cause affidavit. 

He drove to Colorado, where he was arrested by Eaton police. 

He was charged at the time with attempted second-degree murder, which carries 20 years to life in prison, and felony theft. 

Amended documents filed Nov. 23 by Laramie County District Attorney Leigh Anne Manlove outlined the charges to which Landeroz ultimately pleaded guilty. 

Laramie County District Judge Peter Froelicher set Landeroz’s sentencing for Feb. 23. 

As part of a plea agreement, both the state, represented by Manlove, and Landeroz agreed to an imposed prison sentence for the aggravated assault charge. The state will argue for eight to 10 years, and Landeroz is allowed to argue for less, as long as the range is five to seven years. 

On the felony theft count, the parties agreed to a consecutive sentence of seven to nine years, which would be suspended in favor of five years of supervised probation. 

Landeroz remained in custody at the Laramie County jail as of Friday.

Former Little League treasurer sentenced to 30 days in jail

GILLETTE (WNE) — A Campbell County man accused of stealing nearly $30,000 from Gillette Little League while he was the club’s treasurer was sentenced earlier this month to 30 days in jail.

Rory Geis, 41, was given a suspended four- to six-year sentence with a 30-day split-sentence to be served in jail. District Judge Matthew Castano also ordered him to pay $2300.75 in restitution to Gillette Little League.

Geis also was given five years of supervised probation, a $1325 fine and credit for two days served.

In June, Geis reached a plea agreement where he agreed to plead guilty to felony theft. In exchange, the prosecution agreed to dismiss a second count of felony theft.

A former treasurer for Gillette Little League, Geis was arrested in January on two counts of felony theft for stealing $28,867 from the organization in 2019 and 2020.

On June 4, 2020, the president of Gillette Little League, Troy Stevens, called police after finding suspicious charges on the organization’s bank account.

Four board members had credit or debit cards tied to the account. The cards are meant to be used for official Little League business and not for personal use.

Geis said he made a mistake by using his card when he shouldn’t have, and he was willing to write a check for “a couple grand” to Gillette Little League. When they confronted him about the total amount missing, Geis went into “a panic,” Leisy said, and Geis resigned from his position, according to court documents.

Detectives looked at bank statements and Little League registrations and noticed numerous withdrawals from Geis’ card. They compared those withdrawals with registration dates and any other dates that would’ve required purchases or withdrawals, but found no correlation.

Governor files second lawsuit challenging canceled federal lease sales

CHEYENNE (WNE) — Gov. Mark Gordon announced Thursday that Wyoming has filed a second lawsuit against the Department of Interior related to the Bureau of Land Management’s decision to “pause” oil and gas lease sales.

In the first lawsuit, the state challenged the Biden administration’s early actions that brought federal oil and gas leasing to a sudden halt in Wyoming.

The United States District Court for the District of Wyoming found that the Secretary of the Interior’s decision to cancel the First Quarter 2021 lease sale was lawful, but did not consider whether the secretary’s other cancellations violated the law.

The case is targeted at the paused sales that should have taken place in the second and third quarters of 2021 and the third quarter of 2022.

The BLM went 18 months without a single oil and gas lease sale, and has yet to resume regularly scheduled quarterly lease sales.

“This litigation is timely and vital to the interests of Wyoming citizens,” Gordon said in a news release. “Beyond that, Wyoming’s energy resources can help power the nation and bring down costs at the pump. BLM’s decision to cancel lease sales sure seems to be a violation of both the letter and the spirit of the law. I firmly believe the pause in lease sales was politically driven and not based in law or fact.”

Before pursuing legal action, Gordon asked Attorney General Bridget Hill to examine the earlier federal court decision that allowed the Department of the Interior to skip the first quarter sale of 2021. After careful analysis, it is the State’s opinion that the Secretary of Interior does not have the same justification it provided for missing subsequent lease sales, according to the release.

Romanian man arrested for shoplifting four-figure Scotch

JACKSON (WNE) — Nearly three weeks after a high-dollar shoplifting occurred at a local liquor store, police arrested a 50-year-old Romanian man for felony theft.

Police say Marian Firu shoplifted a $7,449 bottle of Scotch from The Liquor Store on Nov. 1.

They say security footage shows a man concealing the Dalmore 35 Year Scotch in the “crotch area of his pants” as he exited the store.

One of the officers recognized the suspect as a panhandler he had seen earlier that day after police received multiple calls about panhandling around town. The man and a woman seen in the security video had been holding signs looking for donations for a 7-year-old with cancer.

Firu wasn’t located until about 1 p.m. Nov. 21 when one of the Liquor Store employees spotted him panhandling on the corner of West Broadway and Highway 22. According to an affidavit filed in Teton County Circuit Court, the employee recognized Firu from the original incident.

Firu was charged with one count of felony theft. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Lt. Russ Ruschill of the Jackson Police Department said it is “likely” that the premise of Firu’s panhandling request is false but could not confirm that yet as Firu was not responsive to questioning.

Ruschill said the female panhandler has not been located.

According to court documents, Firu will require a Romanian interpreter for court proceedings.

His son posted a $7,500 cash bail, and Firu was released Nov. 23. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8 at 10:15 a.m. in Teton County Circuit Court.