Latest news with #TwistedTea
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Crown seeks 20 years for convicted sex offender
Prosecutors are seeking a 20-year prison sentence for a small business owner convicted of sexually exploiting two vulnerable 13-year-old girls, one of whom later died of a drug overdose. Michael Bruce, 44, was found guilty after trial last year of 11 sex-related offences, including luring, in connection to the two girls as well as a then-19-year-old woman. 'I learned first-hand the damage predators inflict on their prey,' the deceased girl's grandmother wrote in a victim impact statement that was read out in court Wednesday. 'We as a society, as adults, should be protecting our children against this degrading psychological terror,' the woman said. 'It's been a long time coming, but the day is finally here for all those children — justice.' Court heard evidence at trial that Bruce, who owns and operates an HVAC business, had contacted a woman who lived in the Charles Walk area, in the North End, in April 2022 to arrange to have sex with her in exchange for work he had completed. The woman instead provided him with contact details for a 13-year-old girl. Bruce contacted the girl over Facebook and arranged to have sex with her in his pickup truck in exchange for $20 and a case of Twisted Tea alcoholic drinks. The girl's grandmother learned about the sexual assault and contacted police. The girl provided two video statements but later died as the result of a drug overdose. Court heard testimony Bruce had sex with the second 13-year-old girl, who was in foster care, as payment for giving her a ride home. The adult victim testified Bruce sexually assaulted her in his truck when she was intoxicated and slipping in and out of consciousness. Bruce testified he believed the first girl was 17 years old and claimed the sex was consensual, as was the sex with the adult victim. He denied having sex with the second 13-year-old girl. Bruce admitted at trial when one of the girls threatened to report him to police, he told her: 'Who are they going to believe — a gang member or a homeowner?' Bruce was arrested in June 2022, but not charged until the following September after Winnipeg police completed a lengthy analysis of his electronic devices. 'It is impossible to quantify… the level of harm these offences will have on these (victims), their families, and the community at large,' Crown attorney Kellie Stashko told Court of King's Bench Justice Sadie Bond on Wednesday. Bruce 'recognized their vulnerability and intentionally exploited them for his own selfish desires,' Stashko said. A forensic psychiatric report and presentence report prepared for court said Bruce – who admits to a long history of 'transactional' sex with women both in and out of the sex trade — continues to minimize his actions and their effect on the victims. 'There is really nothing to suggest this offender understands his risk factors in any way,' Stashko said. Stashko said a 20-year prison sentence was 'just and appropriate' and the minimum period necessary to satisfy the sentencing principals of denunciation and deterrence. 'These were not crimes of opportunity… every step he took was a deliberate choice, not an error in judgment,' Stashko said. Defence lawyer Mike Cook urged the judge to sentence Bruce to just six years in prison, describing him as a loving father of two and community-oriented businessman who has bought and renovated several rental properties to open up housing for the needy. Cook said Bruce had an upbringing marked by poverty, housing instability and exposure to domestic violence. Bruce was raised by a single mother and had no male role model. Cook argued Bruce's sexual maturation was stunted by early and prolonged exposure to pornography and an uncle who glorified empty sexual conquests. 'Micheal Bruce was not taught about love, caring, how to be a good spouse or boyfriend,' Cook said. 'He lacked some of the foundational blocks that would take him into adulthood… It's no surprise that he found himself in trouble as years went by.' Since his arrest, Bruce has joined sex addicts anonymous, a decision 'truly indicative of an internal motivation to change,' Cook said. Bruce offered a tearful apology to his victims, saying he never set out to exploit children. 'My criminality stems from my involvement in the sex trade,' he said. 'I did not seek out teenagers for sexual gratification, but I didn't say no and avail myself of the opportunity to walk away and figure out the truth of their age and I should have.' Bruce said he will regret what he did 'for as long as God allows me to be on this Earth' and is learning how to be a better person. 'I will spend the rest of my days trying to right the wrongs of my past and whenever society permits it, I will try to find ways to help vulnerable women and girls from being exploited sexually,' he said. Bruce will be sentenced June 23. Dean PritchardCourts reporter Dean Pritchard is courts reporter for the Free Press. He has covered the justice system since 1999, working for the Brandon Sun and Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 2019. Read more about Dean. Every piece of reporting Dean produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Vandals accused of causing $48K in damage to Kalispell construction site
Jun. 4—A 23-year-old man accused of causing about $48,000 in damages while commandeering heavy machinery at a Kalispell construction site also allegedly bought beer and tobacco for his underage companions. Prosecutors brought Matthew James White up on a felony criminal mischief charge and a misdemeanor count of unlawful transaction with children in Flathead County District Court following a May 21 incident near Kidsport Complex. White, who remains in the county jail with bail set at $50,000, is expected to appear before Judge Paul Sullivan on June 12 for his arraignment. Kalispell Police officers came across White after an employee of an excavation firm reported seeing people using machinery at a construction site about 1:30 a.m., according to court documents. Responding to the area around the intersection of Northland and Four Mile drives, authorities found a running excavator. Aided by a neighbor, who shouted "one went that way" while pointing west, officers found White. They also discovered a 14-year-old hiding under a barbecue cover left in the backyard of a nearby home, court documents said. The teenager told investigators that White and another minor had picked him up earlier in the night. The trio stopped at a gas station where White allegedly bought a 30-pack of Busch Light Apple, an 18 pack of Twisted Tea, two packs of cigarettes and two packs of ZYN nicotine pouches for the group. Together they drove around Kalispell before eventually arriving at the construction site, the teenager told officers. They began drinking and taking turns operating the machinery, he said. Eventually White and the other minor used the excavator to destroy pipes stored at the site, according to court documents. When one member spotted headlights, they fled, the teenager told investigators. The teenager also provided officers with a breath sample, which came in at 0.059, according to court documents. The construction site manager later estimated that the damage to the project came in at about $48,000. If convicted of felony criminal mischief, White faces up to 10 years in Montana State Prison and a fine of $50,000. Misdemeanor unlawful transaction with children is punishable by a $500 fine and a maximum sentence of six months in the county jail. News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hearing moved to July for driver charged in crash that killed Bakersfield married couple
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A preliminary hearing was postponed to mid-July in the case of a woman accused of driving drunk and hitting a rideshare vehicle, killing a married couple. Paul Brar, the attorney representing Anabell Aleyna Correa, was granted the postponement Monday after telling the court he has a trial starting in Los Angeles that would conflict with the previously scheduled June 9 date. The hearing is now set for July 16. Suspected drunken driver in SW Bakersfield crash that killed married couple admitted to drinking: search warrant Correa, 21, is facing two counts of second-degree murder, among other charges. She's accused of driving drunk early March 16 and running a red light, colliding with a rideshare vehicle carrying Max Austin Mooney and Desiree Paula Noelle Mooney, both 30. Max Mooney died at the scene. Desiree Mooney was pronounced dead at Kern Medical. Correa had a blood-alcohol content of 0.088%, above the legal limit of 0.08%, according to a court filing. She showed signs of being intoxicated — including slurred speech and bloodshot eyes — and told police she drank two 24-ounce cans of Twisted Tea, which contains alcohol, the filing says. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Possible plea agreement in multiple 2024 vehicular offenses
EAU CLAIRE — A Chippewa Falls man whom authorities accuse of causing a crash as he attempted to speed away from a sheriff's deputy may see the case end in a plea agreement. Cameron Bosire, 18, faces charges of first degree recklessly endangering safety, attempting to flee or elude an officer, possession of THC and bail jumping. All but the drug charge are felonies, though low-ranking ones on Wisconsin's scale. A status conference Wednesday saw Bosire's attorney tell the court the two sides are 'close to an agreement to resolve all matters.' He requested an additional status conference, which the court set for June 13. The reference to resolution for 'all matters' is significant. Bosire faces multiple cases in Eau Claire County, all filed last year. The first case charged Bosire with second degree recklessly endangering safety, a Class G felony. Authorities filed it in April 2024. The above mentioned case came next, in June 2024, and it carries the most serious charges. Two more cases were filed in September 2024. The first is a single charge of bail jumping, while the final case includes charges of bail jumping, misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct. According to the criminal complaint in the most serious case, a deputy spotted a vehicle going 74 mph in a 40 mph zone on Hastings Way. When it reached a section with a speed limit of 50, the Bosire accelerated to 84 mph. Bosire did not pull over when the deputy tried to stop him. He left Hastings Way at North Crossing, striking a pickup in the intersection. Two people in the pickup were injured. The deputy found an open Twisted Tea in Bosire's vehicle, along with marijuana. That incident followed an April case in which investigators say Bosire was texting and calling a woman repeatedly because he objected to her being at a party. He eventually showed up, repeatedly honking his car's horn outside. The woman told Bosire the party had been warned about noise and asked him to leave. He turned the car toward her and accelerated. Witnesses said he missed her and a neighbor who came out to ask him to quit honking the horn 'by inches.' He threw out two empty Twisted Tea cans when he drove off. Investigators contacted Bosire at his home, and he claimed to have been asleep. He denied being anywhere near the party. But his vehicle had damage consistent with witness reports of him hitting a tree. He couldn't explain that or debris on the car's tires consistent with jumping the curb.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Possible plea agreement in multiple 2024 vehicular offenses
EAU CLAIRE — A Chippewa Falls man whom authorities accuse of causing a crash as he attempted to speed away from a sheriff's deputy may see the case end in a plea agreement. Cameron Bosire, 18, faces charges of first degree recklessly endangering safety, attempting to flee or elude an officer, possession of THC and bail jumping. All but the drug charge are felonies, though low-ranking ones on Wisconsin's scale. A status conference Wednesday saw Bosire's attorney tell the court the two sides are 'close to an agreement to resolve all matters.' He requested an additional status conference, which the court set for June 13. The reference to resolution for 'all matters' is significant. Bosire faces multiple cases in Eau Claire County, all filed last year. The first case charged Bosire with second degree recklessly endangering safety, a Class G felony. Authorities filed it in April 2024. The above mentioned case came next, in June 2024, and it carries the most serious charges. Two more cases were filed in September 2024. The first is a single charge of bail jumping, while the final case includes charges of bail jumping, misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct. According to the criminal complaint in the most serious case, a deputy spotted a vehicle going 74 mph in a 40 mph zone on Hastings Way. When it reached a section with a speed limit of 50, the Bosire accelerated to 84 mph. Bosire did not pull over when the deputy tried to stop him. He left Hastings Way at North Crossing, striking a pickup in the intersection. Two people in the pickup were injured. The deputy found an open Twisted Tea in Bosire's vehicle, along with marijuana. That incident followed an April case in which investigators say Bosire was texting and calling a woman repeatedly because he objected to her being at a party. He eventually showed up, repeatedly honking his car's horn outside. The woman told Bosire the party had been warned about noise and asked him to leave. He turned the car toward her and accelerated. Witnesses said he missed her and a neighbor who came out to ask him to quit honking the horn 'by inches.' He threw out two empty Twisted Tea cans when he drove off. Investigators contacted Bosire at his home, and he claimed to have been asleep. He denied being anywhere near the party. But his vehicle had damage consistent with witness reports of him hitting a tree. He couldn't explain that or debris on the car's tires consistent with jumping the curb.
