The Cass County Sheriff’s Office would like the public to reacquaint themselves with an old scam with a twist that’s been going around. Authorities say a victim of the recent scam received a voice mail from someone identifying themselves as an IRS worker and stating the victim owed back taxes and needed to get it resolved. Because the victim knew it was a scam, he didn’t return the calls.

Subsequently, the victim received a call that showed on the caller ID as “County Sheriff’s Office”, which he answered. The individual on the other end of the line claimed to be with the county sheriff’s office and that the sheriff’s office had been made aware that the victim had received calls from the IRS and needed to return those calls and get the situation taken care of.

The victim returned the call to the persons claiming to be with the IRS, who told him he was delinquent on his taxes and for security reasons they didn’t want his bank account info and instead wanted prepaid debit cards. Unfortunately, the victim fell prey to this scam and lost $1,900.

Officials want you to know, that Sheriff’s Offices are not linked to the IRS in any way and will never be contacted by the IRS to make contact with individuals by the IRS’s request. It is quite easy for scammers to make their contact numbers appear to be coming from somewhere or someone else on caller ID. Protect yourselves and your loved ones and share the information.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Cass County, Monday, arrested a man on an assault charge. Officials said today (Wednesday), 39-year old Richard Lee Wegenke, of Lewis, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. Wegenke was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $300 cash bond.

NEWARK, Del. (AP) – Authorities say four police officers in Delaware were injured while trying to arrest an Iowa man.  New Castle County (Delaware) Police said in a statement today (Wednesday), that officers responded Tuesday to a report of a man soliciting door to door in Newark with a gun in his bag and stopped 22-year-old Dion Brown of Newton, Iowa. Police say when officers tried to take Brown into custody, he fought them.

Police say Brown bit one officer and struck another and a stun gun had little effect on Brown. Officers from other agencies helped subdue Brown. Police say Brown and the injured officers were treated at a hospital and released.

Police say they didn’t find a gun in Brown’s bag. He’s charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, resisting arrest and criminal mischief.

The Iowa Court of Appeals today (Wednesday), denied an appeal for Post Conviction of Relief (PCR) made by a man from western Iowa, following his conviction in 2012 on three counts of second-degree sexual abuse. Todd Mills was found guilty of the charges and sentenced to a total of 50-years in prison, two 25-year sentences to run consecutively, and one 25-year sentence to run concurrently. His sentences was also to run concurrent with a sentence he was serving in Nebraska for similar offenses.  Mills did not file a direct appeal from his convictions, but in 2013, filed an application for PCR, which was denied by the District Court, in 2015.

In his appeal, Mills claimed his PCR counsel was ineffective in failing to challenge his conviction, based on a claim that his guilty plea was not knowing and voluntary. And, although the plea-taking court informed Mills he would need to register as a sex offender, Mills claimed he was not informed of the obligation to pay the related civil fee of $25o, and that he was not informed of the specific requirements of the registry.

The Appeals Court said the Guilty-Plea Court was NOT required to inform Mills of the Sex Offender Registry requirement, and trial counsel was not ineffective in failing to file a motion in arrest of judgement, and that PCR counsel was not ineffective in challenging trial counsel’s ineffectiveness at Post Conviction Relief. The Appeals Court affirmed the District Court’s denial, of Mills PCR application.

One person was transported by Red Oak Rescue to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital following an accident at around 8:20-a.m. today (Wednesday), in Red Oak. Authorities say 27-year old Gregory Eugene Harrold, of Red Oak, suffered what were described as suspected/minor non-incapacitating injuries, when his 2005 Honda Shadow motorcycle collided with a 2010 Ford F-150 pickup driven by 28-year old Karl Luther Renander, of Red Oak. The accident happened at the intersection of Market and 2nd Streets.

Officials say Renander was traveling west on Market Street and stopped at the controlled intersection, but then pulled away from the stop sign into the path of Harrold’s motorcycle, which was traveling north on 2nd Street. Renander was cited for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign and Yield the right of way.

Damage from the collision amounted to $2,500.

For years, Iowans have heard how con artists posing as I-R-S agents may call our homes trying to steal our money, but we’ve always been reassured the I-R-S doesn’t make that type of call. Well, there’s a new wrinkle in that familiar story, according to Jim Hegarty, C-E-O of the Better Business Bureau office in Omaha-Council Bluffs. “The IRS has now hired four private contractors to do actual, legitimate collection work for them,” Hegarty says. “It’s possible that although we’ve been warning that these calls from IRS agents are imposters, it’s possible you could receive a legitimate call from one of these entities.”

Iowans won’t get such a call unless they owe back taxes, plus, you’ll get a letter first. Hegarty says, “You will not receive one of these calls unless you have first been notified by mail that your account is being turned over to one of these four companies and they may be calling you to talk about a plan to catch up on some back taxes.” Unlike scammers, he says these people will be professional, courteous and won’t demand you make a payment immediately. Hegarty says there’s a relatively easy way to distinguish a call from a legitimate I-R-S person and one from a con artist.

“They’re calling to say, ‘We owe you money and we need to verify that you are who we think you are’,” Hegarty says. They’ll ask for your grandmother’s maiden name, your mother’s maiden name, all sorts of information. “Those are scammers who are trying to get information from you in a different way.”

Any payments that are due will be sent directly to the I-R-S, plus, taxpayers can request information be sent by mail for verification.

(Radio Iowa)

The Harlan Police Department reports four recent arrests. Authorities say 28-year old Dwight Thomas Musgrave, of Harlan, was arrested April 24th on a warrant charging him with telephone dissemination of obscene material to a minor/1st offense.  Musgrave was brought to the Shelby County Jail and posted a $2,000 bond. He was ordered not to have contact with the victim.

On April 26th, 59-year old Walter Charles Gaul, of Harlan, was arrested for Public Intoxication. On April 29th, Harlan Police arrested 22-year old Matthew Allen Strong, of Harlan, for Driving While Suspended. He was also cited for a seat belt violation.

And, on April 30th, 29-year old Mapiyid Hama Goha, of Kennewick, WA., was arrested for OWI, and cited for Failure to Yield upon entering a through highway.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office has announced details about visitation and Memorial services for Deputy Mark Burbridge. He will be honored during a Memorial service on Monday, May 8th at 10:00-a.m., with the service will take place at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs (1 Arena Way). The public is welcome to attend the service. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office will be closed for the entire day on Monday May 8th for Deputy Burbridge’s Memorial Service.

Funeral procession information is still being arranged. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office will publish route information when it is finalized. There will be no graveside service.

There will be two separate visitations for Deputy Burbridge: A law enforcement-only visitation will take place on Saturday, May 6th from 1-until 5-p.m. at the Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home in Council Bluffs. Non-uniformed officers must bring law enforcement identification to be allowed entry.

A public visitation for Deputy Burbridge takes place on Sunday, May 7th from 8:00-a.m. until 6-p.m., at Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home. Community members are welcome to attend. The Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home is located at 1221 N 16th St in Council Bluffs.

Deputy Mark Burbridge