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.
SPENCER JOE JOHNSON, 32, pleaded guilty on Nov. 17, 2021, to one count of possession of a controlled substance, a first-degree felony, and one count of driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, a Class B misdemeanor.
Johnson was pulled over on April 28, 2021, by Trooper Brett Hansen for having no visible registration. Hansen said Johnson appeared to be impaired, and on investigation, found the man to be in possession of mushrooms, raw marijuana, concentrated hash, and multiple types of paraphernalia. He was also in possession of a fully functional crossbow weapon.
Other charges were dismissed, and Johnson was placed on 36 months supervised probation and given credit for time served. Prison and jail sentences were suspended, and Johnson was ordered to pay a fine of $950.
HAYDEN CRAIG CHEVY FARLEY, 21, pleaded guilty to a single count of attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, a third-degree felony.
Farley was pulled over by Deputy Kallen Cox on May 26, 2021, when Cox observed his Chevrolet Silverado operating without headlights on North Main Street in Ephraim. Upon running Farley’s identification, Cox discovered the man had multiple open warrants and placed him under arrest.
When Cox searched Farley’s vehicle pursuant to the arrest, he found a large bag of psilocybin mushrooms, a bag containing three MDMA tablets, an open container of alcohol, a pipe, and a makeshift bong. Farley stated that he had just purchased the mushrooms for $700 and was bringing the substances to a party near Mt. Pleasant.
Farley was sentenced to an indeterminate term not to exceed five years in state prison, which was suspended. He was sentenced to a 15-day term in the county jail, with credit for time served (seven days), and fined $950. He was placed on supervised probation for 36 months.
ETUALE MATAI, JR, 27, pleaded guilty to driving with a measurable controlled substance, a Class B misdemeanor.
On Dec. 1, 2021, Deputy Paul Bailey pulled Matai over on Hwy 132 for a suspected tinted window violation. Matai could not produce any identification documents, so Bailey ran his name based on what Matai had told him. Information came back that Etuale had a suspended driver’s license for drugs. Etuale then informed Bailey that he was currently on probation with Deputy Greenwell. Bailey called Greenwell, who requested that Bailey obtain a urine test.
A search of Etuale’s car produced a glass marijuana pipe with marijuana in it. Etuale was arrested and transported to jail, where he tested positive for methamphetamine.
Etuale was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 90 days suspended. He was given credit for 80 days previously served and was fined $1933, which also was suspended. He was placed on 36 months of supervised probation.
JOSEPH BRADLEY BUTLER, 38, pleaded no contest to a charge of assault with substantial bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor. On or about August 27, 2021, Butler struck his victim in the face with his fist and threw a chair at him, which resulted in lacerations on the victim’s arm and neck.
Butler was sentenced to 364 days in jail, which was suspended, and fined $750.
TIMMI GALE, 37, pleaded no contest to a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, a third-degree felony. At the time, Gale had two previous DUI convictions.
Gale was sentenced to an indeterminate five-year Utah State Prison term, which was suspended. He was sentenced to 90 days in the Sanpete County Jail, with three days credit for time served, and given a $1903 fine. Additionally, Gale was placed on 36 months of supervised probation.
LAURA LEE LAMBERTSEN, 47, pleaded guilty to a single count of cruelty to an animal, a Class B misdemeanor.
On or about Oct. 12, 2021, Lambertsen told neighbors that she was taking her dog to the “pound” because the dog had attacked a neighbor. Instead of taking the dog to an animal shelter, she took it to Blue Hills Road near Moroni, shot it, and left it for dead. The dog did not immediately die and was found by a passerby, who took the animal to an animal hospital where it later died from its injuries.
Lambertsen was sentenced to 180 days in the county jail, which was suspended, fined $500 dollars and placed on 18 months supervised probation, during which time she cannot own any pets, particularly dogs.
HAILEE ANNE SIMMONS, 29, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, a Class A misdemeanor, and interlock restricted driver operation of a vehicle without interlock system, a Class B misdemeanor.
Simmons was pulled over on SR-28 by a Gunnison officer when her car was reported as “swerving all over the road.” When questioned by Trooper Jared A. Jensen, she was very emotional. She stated she was taking several different types of medication. She failed several attempts at a field sobriety test, stating she had a sliver in her foot.
During a consent search, a marijuana pipe was located. A records check showed that her license was suspended and that she was interlock device restricted. She had her 7-year-old son with her in the vehicle at the time of the incident.
Simmons was sentenced to 364 days in county jail, with 354 days suspended on the DUI charge. She was sentenced to 180 days on the interlock device charge, of which 180 days were suspended. She was fined $1573 and placed on supervised probation for 24 months.
DEVAN RANDY SEARLE, 32, pleaded guilty to failure to stop or respond at command of police, a Class A misdemeanor, and DUI at age 21 or older with passenger(s) under 18 years old.
Mt. Pleasant Officer John Blackburn observed a black Mustang traveling at what he estimated was 70-80 miles per hour on North State Street in a 40 MPH zone. When he attempted to pull the car over, the vehicle accelerated to approximately 120 MPH in the direction of Fairview. Blackburn, who was pursuing at 110 MPH, lost sight of the vehicle. When he reached Fairview, he began searching for the Mustang. He found it, and the driver tried to evade him, but he succeeded in blocking the vehicle on the side of the road.
Inside the vehicle, he found Searle, the driver, and his fiancé, with two 14-year-old juveniles in the backseat. Searle said he had consumed two beers. A breath sample tested positive for alcohol. Searle was arrested for reckless driving, reckless endangerment, and driving under the influence.
Searle was given one year suspended sentences on both counts and fined $1460. He was placed on 24 months supervised probation.
HARMONIE SADIE POPPLETON, 44, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct – refusal to comply with police order, a Class C misdemeanor.
The charge stems from an Aug. 6, 2021 incident when Poppleton was driving in a vehicle with her 15-year-old minor daughter. Poppleton became angry at the child and “smacked the child’s head onto the dashboard” of the vehicle, giving the child a bloody nose. No information was given as to who saw the incident or how the police got involved.
Poppleton was given a 90-day suspended jail sentence and fined $500. She was placed on 12 months of supervised probation and ordered to successfully complete a parenting class.
JAMIE LYN FARRIS, 41, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor.
According to a probable cause statement, Chief Robert Hill of the Moroni City Police Department was dispatched to Farris’s home on Dec. 29, 2021, on a complaint of possible drug use and child neglect. Farris was on probation at the time. Hill discovered two glass pipes containing a testable amount of methamphetamine residue. Farris was drug tested at the request of her probation agent and tested positive for alcohol, benzodiazepine, amphetamine, MDMA, and methamphetamine. Farris’s husband admitted that they had been using methamphetamine recently.
Farris was sentenced to 364 days in the county jail, of which 354 days were suspended. She was fined $750 and placed on supervised probation for 18 months.
JESUS ANTONIO NAVA CASTORENA, 37, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a child, each a third-degree felony.
According to the probable cause statement filed in the case, there were at least four separate events. The age and name of the victim are not given, but the statement says that the events took place while the victim was in elementary and middle school. All events took place at the home where the family lived, and Castorena is listed as the stepfather of the victim.
In the four recorded events, the abuse involved inappropriate touching and voyeurism.
Castorena was sentenced to an indeterminant term in prison not to exceed 5 years on each of the two counts. The prison terms were suspended.
He was also sentenced to a one-year jail term, with credit for time served. The sentencing report does not say how much time the criminal served in jail prior to sentencing. He was fined $950 and placed on 36 months supervised probation “…or until deported.”
