Grand jury indicts man for bribing victim, victim for accepting bribe

A Whitley County Grand Jury has charged a McCreary County man for bribing a witness, and a McCreary County woman for accepting the bribe.
The grand jury charged Janice Bell, 42, with two counts of bribe receiving by a witness, and Wayne Rose for one county of bribing a witness.
According to the indictment, on Dec. 14, 2004, Rose alleged gave Bell $600 to drop a pending felony charge against John Smith in McCreary Circuit Court.
The indictment also alleges Bell solicited $800 from Rose in order to sign an affidavit dismissing charges against Smith on March 3.
Smith is currently awaiting trial in two robbery cases, including one where Bell was allegedly the victim, said Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble.
“She executed an affidavit, which was filed in the record in the McCreary County case,” Trimble said, adding that the affidavit stated she couldn’t make a positive identification of Mr. Smith.
When Bell and Rose showed up at Smith’s lawyer’s office in Williamsburg, Trimble said Bell allegedly asked for more money.
“She apparently solicited an additional $800 from Mr. Rose for an additional affidavit,” Trimble said. “Mr. Rose was somewhat upset since he has already paid $400 for the first affidavit, and he went to the police department and talked to Detective Wayne Bird, who gave him a tape recorder.
“Then he (Rose) had a subsequent conversation that afternoon with Ms. Bell. In that conversation, she solicited another $800.”
Rose was apparently a friend of Smith’s family.
The grand jury also indicted Glennis Isaacs, 31, and James Curtis Merida, 24, for second-degree escape.
On March 28, Whitley County Jail officials say Isaacs and Merida broke out of the jail between 5:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. after they apparently loosened up the screws holding the locking mechanism on a access panel inside their cell block so they could gain access to a work area where plumping pipes were located. The two then made their way through the access area to another access area, and a hole cut in the ceiling by three other inmates, who broke out of the jail in late December.
Both men are now back in custody.
Merida was also indicted for being a first-degree persistent felony offender for having prior felony convictions for theft and criminal possession of a forged instrument in Knox Circuit Court.
Isaacs was indicted for being a second-degree persistent felony offender with prior felony convictions for theft in Whitley Circuit Court.
Second-degree escape normally carries a penalty of one to five years in prison.
Because of the second-degree persistent felony offender charge, Isaacs is facing between five and 20 years in prison. Merida is facing between 10 and 20 years in prison due to the first-degree persistent felony offender charge.
In addition, the grand jury charged a Williamsburg woman with unlawfully prescribing and/or dispensing a controlled substance
Carolyn Byrd, also known as Carolyn Graves, 37, was also charged with being a second-degree persistent felony offender with prior convictions for theft by unlawful taking and fraudulent use of a credit card in Fayette Circuit Court.
According to her indictment, on Jan. 6, she allegedly called in a prescription to the Walmart Pharmacy for a controlled substance for Janet Ball using the name of Dr. William Durham when she knew that he had not authorized such a prescription.
According to its monthly report, the grand jury issued 16 other indictments against 22 people Monday, including:
• William R. Jones – flagrant non-support.
• John M. Kennedy – flagrant non-support.
• Clayton D. Long – flagrant non-support.
• Jason D. Perkins, Steve Griffith Jr., and Roscoe Steven Noe – first-degree burglary.
• Victoria Hook and Angela Siler – manufacture of methamphetamine. Hook was also indicted for being a second-degree persistent felony offender.
• Keith Caddell and Carl Huckabee – trafficking in marijuana under eight ounces and trafficking in marijuana over eight ounces.
• Brian Scott Owens – receiving stolen property over $300.
• Donnie Grubb – theft of identity and second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.
• Barbara Gail Elliott, Charlie D. Elliott and Donnie Marie Messer – theft by unlawful taking, and first-degree burglary.
• Dewayne Shelley – first-degree possession of a controlled substance.
• Charles Salmon – second-degree possession of a controlled substance, third-degree possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana under eight ounces, possession of drug paraphernalia, first offense operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, first offense operating a motor vehicle while license was suspended for driving under the influence, reckless driving, and carrying a concealed weapon.
• Raymond K. Mardis – manufacture of methamphetamine.
• Michelle Manning – manufacture of methamphetamine, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, second offense possession of drug paraphernalia, and second-degree persistent felony offender.
• Todd Lynn Day- first-degree possession of a controlled substance.
• Michael Anderson – criminal attempt to obtain a controlled substance by fraud.
• Kevin Brown – first-degree possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, third offense operating a motor vehicle while license was suspended for driving under the influence, and second offense operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.