Category: Court News

KINGMAN – A Kingman woman and her boyfriend murdered the woman’s mother because they feared she would attempt to take custody of their son, according to the statement of probable cause for the search that led to the discovery and recovery of the victim’s body. 62-year-old Shawn Vanover apparently had legal custody of Carrie Vanover’s five-year old daughter for undisclosed reasons. Vanover, 23, told detectives that she and Mark Baldonado, 31, began planning to kill her mother about a month before their son was to be born. The probable cause affidavit said they wanted to regain custody of the girl…

A Cedar City, Utah man who admitted transporting his fiancé to massage parlors to perform sex acts for pay was sentenced in Kingman on Tuesday, July 16. 41-year-old Stephen Hansen previously entered a plea agreement convicting him of the reduced charge of attempted pandering. Hansen is among eight people who were arrested in September, 2018 for various alleged involvements in human trafficking and prostitution at massage parlors operated in Lake Havasu, Bullhead City. Prosecutor Megan McCoy said Hansen was not a participant in the alleged enterprise that operated in Arizona, California and Utah and merely drove the fiancé who is…

A no prison guaranteed plea agreement was entered July 16 for a Bullhead City woman charged in a drug case. Kristine Graff, 42, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of facilitation of possession of dangerous drugs for sale. Bullhead City police said suspected drug sales activity led to a warrant based search of the home of Graff’s former boyfriend Michael Wain, 51. The August 3, 2017 search of the residence at 3169 Locust Boulevard prompted the seizure of three grams of heroin, a loaded handgun and numerous drug paraphernalia items. Police said they believed that methamphetamine and marijuana was flushed…

A Lake Havasu City woman who admits violating probation and possessing illegal drugs is going to the Arizona Department of Corrections if a local judge accepts a plea agreement entered July 11. Stacey Parenti was placed on probation in 2015 after pleading guilty to possession of dangerous drugs associated with a 33 gram methamphetamine seizure. Mohave County Superior Court judge Rick Lambert said the petition to revoke her probation alleged that Parenti failed urinalysis drug tests on December 3, 10 and 17 last year. Officers assisted probation with a January, 2019 residential search to explore the validity of Parenti’s claim…

A methamphetamine mule busted while hauling drugs through Mohave County was given a ten year prison sentence on July 10. Manuel Tolano, 42, was also ordered to pay fines, fees and surcharges totaling more than $43,000. The defendant’s mother asked Mohave County Superior Court Judge Derek Carlisle for mercy, saying the family relies upon Tolano. “There’s nothing like a mother’s love for her son but look at his record,” countered Deputy County Attorney Bob Moon. The veteran prosecutor said Tolano’s lengthy legal history is littered with misdemeanor and felony convictions. DPS officers seized 23.5 pounds of methamphetamine from a vehicle…

Another 33.5 years in prison has been ordered for a Mohave Valley man who was the focus of four jury trials since the spring. Imposition of sentence for 42-year-old Joseph Carter on July 10 came at the end of three hours of legal battle between prosecutor Jaimye Ashley and defense attorney Melissa Barry. “It’s been typical of these cases from the beginning,” said Mohave County Superior Court Judge Rick Lambert. “It’s just been one difficulty after another.” Wednesday’s sentencing was for drug and weapon convictions associated with a September, 2017 search of Carter’s home at 555 King Way. More than…