IRS SCAM TARGETING GARFIELD COUNTY RESIDENTS
Glenwood Springs—Hang up and call the police immediately if you get a call from someone claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service saying you owe back taxes. According to reports from the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, the IRS phone scam almost bilked one local person out of an easy 10 thousand dollars. An alert clerk at a local Kum & Go was able to recognize the scam and thwart the deal. Investigators say the caller tells the person to pay their back taxes right away or they’ll be fined or face other consequences. They’re then told to buy green dot cards at a local store and call in the number on the cards to pay the debt. According to the Sheriff’s office, the IRS does not operate that way, they will always contact you with a written notice.
FORMER EAGLE CO. DEPUTY GETS PLEA BARGAIN IN SEX ASSAULT CASE
Vail—The former Eagle County Sheriff’s deputy accused of raping a woman after slamming her face into a wall will not be charged with a felony. 42 year old Timothy Hay pled guilty to two misdemeanors in connection with the September 18th assault at a vacant warehouse near the Eagle County airport. The plea bargain with prosecutors allows Hay to avoid a trial on three felony counts of sexual assault. He must however, register as a sex offender. Hay was hired by the Sheriff’s office in 2003 but was off duty at the time of the assault. The victim told investigators she was driving Hay home after a night of drinking at a local bar when he asked her to pull over at the vacant warehouse in Gypsum.
PILOT OF PLANE THAT HIT CABLES IN DEBEQUE CANYON WILL BE IDENTIFIED
Grand Junction—The jet pilot who sheared off power lines while speeding through Debeque Canyon over six weeks ago will be indentified in a report later this month. National Transportation Safety Board investigator Michael Hicks says the report will also include a second person in the Aero L-39C Albatross. According to reports, the jet was screaming through the canyon at 300 miles an hour when it hit the power lines and lost part of it’s right wing. The lines came down onto the interstate and damaged a car owned by Glenwood Springs resident Steve Reynolds and also injured a truck driver when the lines smashed the windshield on his rig. Investigators say the pilot was qualified to fly the plane.
ROLLOVER INJURES TWO NEAR WEST RIFLE
Rifle—An early morning rollover yesterday on I-70 seriously injured two people near West Rifle. According to reports from the Colorado State Patrol, 20 year old Dustin Ferguson of Brandon, Mississippi, lost control of his pickup truck between Rulison and the West Rifle exit. The truck rolled several times and both Ferguson and a younger male were ejected. Ferguson was flown to Saint Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction while the other victim had to be airlifted to Denver Health with multiple injuries. Drugs, alcohol and speeding have been ruled out as possible causes.of the crash.
