Information is gleaned from court records, police reports and interviews with the Sanpete County Attorney’s Office. All individuals are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Alan Scott Cox, 64, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted forcible sexual abuse, each third-degree felonies. A charge of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony, and a charge of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony, were dismissed.
An indeterminate prison term of up to five years was suspended, but he was ordered to spend 90 days in the Sanpete County Jail and to pay a $750 fine.
The charges against Cox stemmed from crimes committed about 25 years ago, when the victims were children, and only recently came to light.
Miguel Eddie Aguilar, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of stalking, a Class A misdemeanor, and one count of criminal trespass within a dwelling, a Class A misdemeanor.
After being repeatedly told on previous occasions that he was not allowed on her property, Mr. Aguilar trespassed on the victim’s property at 12 p.m. on Aug. 13, 2021. The victim yelled at him to leave, which he did, but he then returned that evening. Aguilar was again told to leave but refused to do so. The victim, Aguilar’s mother, closed the door and called the police.
Aguilar was not present when police arrived, so they took the victim’s statement and tried to locate him. Moroni police chief Robert Hill located Aguilar at his residence the next morning, where he became argumentative when informed he was under arrest. When he refused to be handcuffed, Hill requested additional units as backup.
Aguilar fled on foot. Hill tried to follow in his vehicle but lost him. Aguilar’s mother flagged Hill down and told him the fugitive was at her house. With the mother’s cooperation, Hill and other arriving officers arrested Aguilar and transported him to jail.
Aguilar was sentenced to 364 days in the Sanpete County Jail, which was suspended, with credit given for 44 days which he previously served. Fines of $9,566 were also suspended.
Lori Ann Olsen, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance in a drug free zone, a Class A misdemeanor, for presumably trying to smuggle drugs into the Central Utah Correctional Facility. A second charge of distribution of a controlled substance – drug free zone, a second-degree felony, was dismissed. Olsen was given a 364-day jail sentence, which was suspended, and fined $750. She was placed on supervised probation for 24 months.
Jorge Armando Pacheco-Lopez, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person (a .22LR pistol), a Class A misdemeanor, and one count of possession of a controlled substance schedule I/II/analog, a Class A misdemeanor.
A felony charge of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person and a second count of possession of a controlled substance schedule I/II/analog (marijuana/spice), a Class-A misdemeanor, were dismissed.
The judge suspended a 364-day jail sentence and fined Mr. Pacheco-Lopez $950. He was placed on 24 months supervised probation.
Taylor Benjamin Backus, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice, a Class A misdemeanor, one count of disorderly conduct after request to stop, a Class C misdemeanor, and one count of intoxication, a Class C misdemeanor.
On March 1, 2022, Sheriff Deputy Justice Green was dispatched to an address in Manti, where Backus reportedly had been yelling and punching the walls. The party said that Backus had been trying to start a fight by grabbing the complainant’s shirt and being aggressive.
Backus was located in a shed behind the residence, where the deputy had to call for him to come out several times before he showed himself and advanced forward. He was told to advance slowly with his hands up. Green said the man could not maintain his balance and slurred his speech. Officers could smell alcohol on him.
When they tried to place hand restraints on him, Backus resisted and had to be wrestled to the ground before being shackled. At the jail, Backus refused to give a blood or urine sample despite a warrant ordering him to do so, saying “…no, it will make me a zombie.”
Backus was sentenced to 364 days in jail with 334 days suspended. He was fined $750 and placed on supervised probation for 24 months.
Kevin Jim Bean, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of DUI with 2 or more prior convictions within ten years, a third-degree felony, one count of possession of a controlled substance schedule I/II/analog, a Class A misdemeanor, and one count of use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class B misdemeanor.
Bean was sentenced to an indeterminate term not to exceed five years in the Utah State Prison, which was suspended. He was sentenced to ten days in jail and 90 days home confinement, as well as fined $16,249, all but $2,000 of which was suspended.
Ashlyn Ehler, 22, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a controlled substance schedule I/II/analog, a Class A misdemeanor.
One count of possession of a controlled substance schedule I/II/analog, a Class A misdemeanor, and one count of use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class B misdemeanor, were dismissed.
Moroni police chief Robert Hill was dispatched to 400 E. 100 S in Moroni on a report of a burglary in progress. He arrived to find the door to the house open and Ms. Ehler standing in the driveway. She stated that she had been living there with her girlfriend before everyone else in the house went to jail.
Chief Hill searched and secured Ms. Ehler before clearing the house. He then read her her rights and asked if she had anything in her possession he should know about. She revealed that she had just purchased meth and heroin, which were in her jacket on the passenger seat of her car.
Hill searched the car and also found a Crown Royal bag in the back containing several syringes and two vials of NARCAN.
Ehler was sentenced to 364 days in jail, which was suspended, fined $750, and placed on supervised probation for 24 months.
Ian Dennis Warner, 45, pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of a controlled substance I/II/analog, a Class A misdemeanor, and a single count of impaired driving with a passenger under the age of 16, a Class-B misdemeanor. A charge of use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class B misdemeanor, was dismissed.
Warner was sentenced to 364 days in jail on the possession charge and 180 days in jail on the impaired driving charge, both of which were suspended. He was fined $2,827 and placed on supervised probation for 24 months.
Note: The cases cited do not include cases that came before the court that originated at the Central Utah Correctional Facility.
