District court roundup: Woman sentenced for sexually abusing a minor

Jan. 30—CHEYENNE — A woman who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor was sentenced Friday morning in Laramie County District Court.

Erin Grey was sentenced by Laramie County District Judge Peter Froelicher to two to four years in prison on each count to be served consecutively, though the second count was suspended in favor of three years of supervised probation, which will follow her prison term.

Grey's probation carries several requirements, including registering as a sex offender, having absolutely no contact with the victim or his family, and completing mental health evaluations and counseling. She is also barred from having contact with anyone under 18, other than her own children, without another adult present.

Grey pleaded guilty Oct. 22 to two felony counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor, the offender being older than 17 and the victim being between 13 and 15 years old, and at least four years younger than the offender. Each charge carried a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The state, Grey and her attorney signed a plea agreement in October in which the state recommended a sentence of three to five years of incarceration for each count, to be served concurrently, but the agreement allowed the defendant to argue for a lesser sentence.

According to court documents:

On July 20, 2019, Cheyenne Police officers responded to a report that Grey had been exchanging sexually explicit messages with a 15-year-old boy. A search of the boy's phone found an explicit video recorded two months prior in which both the boy and Grey were clearly identified.

The boy later confirmed in an interview with detectives that he was the person in the video, and that Grey had inappropriate contact with him one other time within that year. Grey was more than 15 years older than the boy at the time of both offenses.

------

Heard Thursday in Laramie County District Court:

Yzail Ashton Gauna pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and battery of a pregnant woman. He previously pleaded not guilty to the charge, along with charges of felony property destruction and misdemeanor eluding, as well as felony aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon and felony theft in a separate case. These charges would be dismissed at sentencing if a plea agreement recommendation, agreed to by the state and the defendant, is followed by the judge.

The agreement recommends a sentence of one year of supervised probation, with a suspended sentence of 12 to 18 months of incarceration. Froelicher scheduled Gauna's sentencing for May 6.

Gauna was released on his own recognizance, and Froelicher continued an order requiring Gauna not have contact with the victim in the case.

According to court documents:

At 11:38 a.m.June 10, a Cheyenne Police officer responded to a physical disturbance. A woman said she had been assaulted by her boyfriend, Gauna, after telling him she wanted to "take a break" from the relationship. Gauna had pulled her hair "hard," causing her to feel dizzy and eventually vomit. The woman was 12 weeks pregnant with Gauna's child at the time.

Gauna attempted to leave the area as an officer was pulling into the apartment complex parking lot where the events took place. Gauna refused to stop and led the officer on a high-speed pursuit, ending in Gauna driving through a red light and colliding with a semi tractor, causing his vehicle to spin and crash into a parked car. Gauna fled the scene on foot.

------

Also heard Thursday in district court:

Anthony Scott Rogers was sentenced by Froelicher to one year of unsupervised probation, with a suspended sentence of one year of incarceration, for misdemeanor reckless endangering (conduct) as part of a plea agreement.

Just before the sentence was handed down, Rogers pleaded no contest to the charge. He was originally charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault and battery (threatening with a drawn deadly weapon), but one was later dismissed and the other reduced to reckless endangering.

Laramie County District Attorney Leigh Anne Manlove said the agreement had largely been reached because "there's no possibility Mr. Rogers would ever be placed in a situation like he was last year," as one of the victims has since died, the other has moved to a different state and Rogers no longer lives in Cheyenne.

According to court documents:

On Jan. 1, 2020, a Cheyenne Police officer responded to the 2200 block of East 16th Street. Rogers was upset that his neighbors were setting off fireworks, leaving his apartment to yell at the neighbors and say the fireworks were affecting his PTSD.

Rogers then returned to his apartment and emerged with a large machete, running toward the neighbors and swinging the machete at a 14-year-old boy and the boy's father. Rogers missed, instead striking the side of the apartment building.

The boy's father later arrived at Rogers' apartment armed with a handgun and demanded to know why Rogers swung the machete. Rogers opened the door and raised the machete as if to swing it, but then immediately closed the door. The boy's father returned to his apartment and contacted police.

___

(c)2021 Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne, Wyo.)

Visit Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne, Wyo.) at www.wyomingnews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.