In brief: Armed man robs title loan company
Post Falls police are searching for a shotgun-wielding robber who held up a Northwest Title Loan on Monday.
Video of the robbery shows a masked white man dressed in black walk into the office at about 1:20 p.m. at Pleasant View and Riverbend and threaten employees with the gun. He steals from a cash drawer, forces a customer and employees to sit down and then leaves. No one was hurt.
People with information may call Post Falls police at (208) 773-7622.
Idaho man guilty of bank larceny
A former Bonners Ferry man pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to bank larceny by use of a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit bank larceny.
Matthew Taber Annable, 40, will be sentenced June 10, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson said.
Annable and co-defendant Nathan Paul Davenport broke into and stole cash from an automated teller machine at the Idaho First Bank in McCall, Idaho, on Jan. 10, 2014. Davenport admitted to shooting at pursuing police officers with a semi-automatic rifle, while Annable waited nearby in an escape vehicle, officials say.
As part of the conspiracy, the indictment charged both men with other ATM larcenies in Boise and Meridian on Jan. 5, 2014, and a string of similar crimes in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Idaho in December 2013 and January 2014.
Controlled burns starting in N. Idaho
The Forest Service is starting its annual controlled burn program this week on the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District.
About 1,400 acres is targeted near Coeur d’Alene and Hayden this year to reduce a buildup of fuels in the forest. About 400 acres will be burned in drainages to the east and northeast of Hayden. Another 800 acres is scheduled for burning in the Wolf Lodge, Blue and Alder creek drainages east of Coeur d’Alene.
The timing of the burns will vary, depending on weather, moisture levels and smoke dispersal. For a complete list of planned burns, visit www.northidahorxfire.com.
‘Westlake groper’ gets three years
SEATTLE – A man known as the “Westlake groper” has been sentenced to more than three years in jail.
The Seattle Times reported that Daryl Sharma, of Kirkland, pleaded guilty last week to five counts of assault with sexual motivation.
The 36-year-old was arrested in October. He became known as the “Westlake groper” after one of his victims posted a picture of him on social media and complained about a lack of police response to her report.
The photo prompted more than a dozen women to contact police and report that Sharma had groped them.
Sharma had been under supervision by the state Department of Corrections at the time following a conviction of third-degree sexual assault. He has a history of groping charges dating back to 2002.
Pot prices down by more than half
OLYMPIA – Marijuana prices have dropped dramatically since stores opened last summer.
The Seattle Times reported that the average gram of marijuana in the state’s system sells for about $12. That’s down from a $30 average last year when prices peaked.
The data from the state Liquor Control Board doesn’t consider the quality of the bud or the effect of bulk pricing. But it shows a downward trend since the state launched its regulated marijuana market.