Public Safety

A Juneau husband and wife, who formerly managed the Airport Mini Mall and Apartments as a couple, are being accused of theft.

Paul E. Hansen, 63, and Cheryl L. Hansen, 67, are each being charged with one count of first degree felony theft. Charging documents essentially allege that over $50,000 of deposits, or money belonging to the Mall, was kept by the Hansens.

Paul Hansen did the maintenance. Cheryl Hansen did the bookkeeping. They say they worked as managers for nine years, getting use of the manager’s house near the mall and a $1,000 a month when they left in May 2010. An indictment handed up by a Juneau grand jury on November 4th alleges that the theft happened sometime between May and June of last year.

The Hansens do not have attorneys yet. But Cheryl Hansen spoke to reporters after Wednesday afternoon’s arraignment hearing. She predicted that everybody that they know or have worked with “would be dumbfounded” once they found out about the charges.

Right now, Cheryl Hansen says she “feels overwhelmed.” Her husband Paul suffers from a variety of severe medical ailments and she says they were just at the hospital emergency room Tuesday night – the night before arraignment.

The couple is on a fixed income, their $2200 in combined monthly social security and disability benefits largely going to apartment rent and basic expenses. Cheryl Hansen told Superior Court Judge Louis Menendez during the hearing that they do not currently have any debt, but a collection agency is after them for old medical expenses. Paul Hansen says he cannot afford to hire a lawyer. Public defense attorneys are being assigned to each of them.

If convicted, the Hansens would – as first time offenders – likely be sentenced to as much as three years in prison. The maximum sentence for felony theft in the first degree is ten years in prison, $100,000 dollar fine, and 25 years on probation.

Menendez carefully repeated explanations of court proceedings for the Hansens and entered a ‘not guilty’ plea on their behalf.

Their next hearing is November 28th.

Three Southeast men currently faces charges related to guided fishing violations in Alaska.

Michael W. Duby of Juneau, 61, has already run afoul of Montana Fish and Game authorities for poaching there. His son, Michael Patrick Duby, 37, was also convicted on the Montana charges, and is currently awaiting sentencing on federal charges related to shooting migratory birds in Alaska and selling their parts on the internet.

Now, Alaska Wildlife Troopers have charged the elder Duby with providing guide services without a license. According to charging documents, Duby was working for his son’s company Fish Hunter Charters as a licensed guide in 2007. Investigators say he then guided a saltwater sport fish charter April 28, 2008 while on his son’s boat the ‘Brody.’ He did not have a valid license in his possession and listed his 2007 license number in the vessel’s logbook.

Michael W. Duby then allegedly told investigators that his 2008 license was late in coming and he guided on a temporary license. But investigators allege that he didn’t even apply for a 2008 license until April 30th, two days after the charter trip.

The charging documents, filed last week, specifically mention that Michael Patrick Duby was also under investigation for illegal guiding activity. But state prosecutors have not yet filed any charges against him.

Arraignment of Michael W. Duby is planned for December 8th in Juneau District Court.

In Sitka, Alaska Wildlife Troopers allege that four clients were taken out on a chartered trip on a vessel that was not registered to sportfish guide.

Robert L. Warren, 34, was charged for failing to register the vessel and failing to obtain a sportfish guide logbook. Michael R. Keating, 55, was charged with two counts of sportfish guide operator assisting in a violation.

Troopers believe that Keating, owner of Big Blue Fisheries, had Warren take out the clients on a boat that Keating knew was unregistered and did not have logbooks assigned.

Both men were charged Tuesday, but it’s unclear when the alleged violations actually occurred.

Their arraignment is scheduled for November 29th.

Anchorage Superior Court Presiding Judge Sharon Gleason has been confirmed to the U.S. District Court in Alaska.

Gleason is the first Alaska woman to be confirmed to the federal bench.

She will replace U.S. District Court Judge John Sedwick, who is on senior status.  

President Obama nominated Gleason to the U.S. District Court last spring on the recommendation of U. S. Sen. Mark Begich.   

In speeches on the Senate floor before Tuesday’s confirmation vote, Begich and Sen. Lisa Murkowski cited the praise of other judges and Alaska attorneys who practice before her.

“Alaska judicial candidates are rated by their peers and Judge Gleason consistently receives among the highest marks possible,” Begich said.

Murkowski said Gleason “is and will continue to be a superb judge. She has tremendous control of her own demeanor so that she maintains control of the proceedings and as a result, parties almost universally leave a hearing feeling that she has understood them and thought carefully about her decision.”

The U.S. Senate confirmed two women to the federal judiciary on Tuesday — Gleason on a vote of 87 to 8, and Yvonne Gonzales Rogers to the Northern California District Court by 89 to 6. The votes against the women came from Murkowski’s Republican colleagues, including Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Gleason waited 224 days for her confirmation. Forty-five judicial nominees await Senate confirmation, among them Alaska Supreme Court Justice Morgan Christen. She was nominated to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on May 18th.

Alaska news has been full recently of stories about the huge storm that battered the state’s west coast last week.

While the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sherman figured prominently in helping a nearly disabled catcher-processing ship, those reports had few details.

The Sherman’s Commanding Officer, Captain Joe Hester, is fond of telling sea stories. Hester recounted a number of them when the cutter stopped in Juneau in September on its way to the Bering Sea for a three-month patrol.

As the big storm developed over the Bering last week, KTOO checked in by email. After the storm had subsided and the crew of 180 had had a good night’s rest, Capt. Hester followed up with a phone call. Rosemarie Alexander brings us the rest of the story of the Rebecca Irene.

The State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development is making three phone bank lines available to elders and their family members Thursday for Elder Investment and Financial Exploitation National Call-in Day.

Mark Kelsey with the Department of Commerce says experts will be available on the other end of the phone lines to answer questions on finances, health and abuse.

It is estimated that one out of every five Americans over the age of 65 has been victimized by a financial swindle. Of particular concern are seniors with mild cognitive impairment.

Seniors who find themselves in such a situation should call the phone bank lines . In Alaska, they will be open from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, November 10th.

For general finance questions, call: 1-888-227-1776

For health questions: 1-888-303-0430

And for financial abuse questions: 1-888-303-3297

You can also visit www.investorprotection.org to learn more.

The man convicted of burning down the historic 110 year old Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, McPhetres Hall, and an adjacent home is back in jail.

Twenty-nine year old Bob Huber was arrested early Friday morning after an alleged altercation with a woman. He’s been charged with assault in the fourth degree and is now being held at Lemon Creek Correctional Center.

Huber told District Court Judge Thomas Nave during an arraignment hearing on Friday afternoon that he did not have any savings. He’s only been working at a local motel for the last three months. That’s roughly the same amount of time that Huber has been out on parole after serving his sentence down south for arson.

Huber was sentenced to 15 years in prison with seven years suspended. Probation was set at ten years for the March 12th, 2006 fire that burned down all three structures in downtown Juneau. No one besides Huber was reported injured from the blaze. A cat in the private home reportedly died in the fire.

It was just this year that church and community members celebrated reconstruction of the new Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and McPhetres Hall.