A change of plea hearing was held Thursday in Fourth Judicial District Court in Sheridan for a Sheridan man charged with felony drug possession. Pursuant to terms of a plea agreement reached with the State, 46-year-old Aaron Way entered a plea of “guilty” to the charge of Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance- Marijuana. The crime which occurred on October 4 of last year, is being prosecuted as a felony due to the fact that Way has previously been convicted of similar drug possession charges three times. The plea agreement recommends a sentence of 2 to 4 years in prison, suspended in lieu of two years of supervised probation. District Court Judge John Fenn reminded Way that the Court is not bound by the plea agreement and could reject it altogether at sentencing.
A three-day jury trial remains scheduled for May 24 in Fourth Judicial District Court in Sheridan for Donald Brower, who is charged with two felonies for allegedly distributing drugs to a minor. Brower, at an arraignment hearing in November, pleaded “not guilty” to the charges of Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance to a Minor- Marijuana, and Possession With Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance to a Juvenile- Marijuana. The alleged crimes occurred between October 3rd and 4th of 2020.
During a pretrial conference in District Court Thursday, Sheridan County Attorney Dianna Bennett and Defense Attorney Travis Smith said negotiations for a plea agreement are continuing to take place. District Court Judge John Fenn said the jury trial will remain on the court docket as a #2 stack trial, behind a case that is being handled by Judge William Edelman. If convicted on both counts, Brower faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $20,000.
Beartusk Sentenced
On March 29 of 2020, 55-year-old Dana Beartusk murdered Angelina Beartusk, Seana Fisher, and Mochdaveyano “Blackhawk” Fisher at a mobile home in Big Horn. Immediately after the killings, Beartusk called his brother and confessed what he’d done before fleeing the crime scene in a vehicle. Beartusk stopped at a couple of convenience stores in Sheridan before heading north to Montana. Beartusk was arrested soon after and charged with the crimes. In May, three firearms that belonged to Beartusk, including the murder weapon, a 40 caliber Glock pistol, were found alongside a road near Kirby, Montana. Beartusk was originally charged with three counts of First Degree Murder, but at a change of plea hearing in February of this year, pleaded “guilty” to three amended counts of Second Degree Murder.
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Last year on October 31,
42-year-old Jayson Smothers of Sheridan was arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence after being pulled over by law enforcement outside of a liquor store on North Main Street in Sheridan. His blood alcohol content was over twice the legal limit. On January 28, Smothers pleaded “guilty” to the charge of Felony DUI at a change of plea hearing in Fourth Judicial District Court in Sheridan. The charge was prosecuted as a felony because Smothers has previously been convicted of DUI three times since 2011. Four convictions of DUI in a ten year period in Wyoming results in a felony. The guilty plea was pursuant to a plea agreement reached with the State.