Lopez man to stand trial for felony assault, attempted arson
A Lopez Island man accused of firing a shotgun near his wife’s head during an alcohol-fueled argument will stand trial on a series of charges, including felony assault and attempted arson.
On April 24, Michaeal Dewey Augustine, 47, pleaded innocent in San Juan County Superior Court to second-degree assault and attempted arson, which are Class B felonies, and to one count each of interfering with domestic violence reporting and DUI, which are gross misdemeanors. He is slated to stand trial July 20.
If convicted of either felony, he would face up to five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both.
Bail was set at $25,000 and Augustine was released under court orders pending trial. He was taken into custody April 16 following an investigation of a domestic violence report at the couple’s Gillnetter Lane home.
According to court documents, prosecutors claim Augustine fired two rounds from a 12-guage, double-barreled shotgun about a foot away from his wife’s head as an argument escalated into a heated exchange inside the couple’s bedroom. Broken glass reportedly rained down onto their bed, which Augustine, according to authorities, slashed with a knife, as blasts from the shotgun shattered a pair of windows.
Augustine, according to charging documents, allegedly tried to toss a 1-pound can of combustible black powder – ammunition for the shotgun – into a wood stove while threatening to burn down the house as the altercation continued. He reportedly had just thrown his wife’s cell phone into the stove as she was trying to call 911.
Officers arrived at the scene shortly after the couple’s two sons, who were told to flee the home by their mother, used a neighbor’s telephone to call authorities. They were being questioned when Augustine, who had left the home in his car, pulled to a stop near a patrol car and was immediately taken into custody.
Seattle man to serve four months for forgery
A Seattle man who turned a Lopez Island man’s hospitality into an illegal money-making venture was sentenced to four months in jail for forgery.
On April 17, Ashley Firebear Garner, 26, pleaded guilty in San Juan County Superior Court to four counts of forgery, a Class C felony, and was ordered to serve four months in jail, and to pay $1,070 in fines and fees, and another $4,555 in restitution.
Garner will be allowed to serve four months on work crew in lieu of jail. A year ago in February, when charges were initially filed, he faced one count of felony theft and seven counts of forgery.
According to court documents, Garner stole blank checks and several unused credit-card checks from the Lopez man’s home while visiting the island with several friends two years ago in the spring. He later opened a bank account in the Seattle area and then used it to launder those checks, along with forged signatures, and to pay for various merchandise. In addition to multiple purchases, he used the account to pay court-ordered fines imposed following a conviction for misdemeanor assault a year before the trip to Lopez.
A Class C felony, forgery carries maximum penalties of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both; however, the standard range of sentencing set by the state is 2-6 months in jail.
Orcas man gets 15 months in prison for felony assault
An Orcas Island man who defied court orders and used his fists to pummel his girlfriend’s face was sentenced to 15 months in prison for felony assault.
On April 23, Jayson Richard Williams, 40, pleaded guilty in San Juan County Superior Court to one count of assault in violation of a protection order, a Class C felony, and to two counts of attempted bail jumping, a gross misdemeanor.
Williams, who has an extensive criminal history, including four felony convictions, was sentenced to a total of 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,700 in fines and fees.
According to court documents, a disagreement between the couple erupted into blows during a trip to Eastsound to buy groceries in early July. The woman reportedly slapped Williams in the face when he refused to drive home, and after he took some of her belongings out of the car and left them with a clerk at a nearby shop, and he retaliated by repeatedly hitting her in the face. The woman suffered a broken nose, a black eye and multiple cuts to the face.
Protection orders had been issued in San Juan and Skagit County courts which prohibited Williams from contacting the woman, but according to court records, they lived together for about three years prior to the assault.
A Class C felony, assault in violation of a protection order carries maximum penalties of five years in a prison, a $10,000 fine, or both; however, the standard range of sentencing set by the state is 15-20 months in prison.
