Two Sitkans were indicted last Friday (8-19-16) on felony charges involving weapons.
The Grand Jury charged 32-year old Brandon D. Ledbetter with one count of Assault in the Second Degree for allegedly assaulting another man in the Pioneer Bar early in the morning on August 12.
According to court records, police were summoned to the P-Bar a little after 2 AM on the report that a man had been stabbed. On arriving, they discovered that there had been a physical altercation, leaving one man with a 4-inch laceration in his leg, as well as a piece of knife blade embedded in his bone. After interviewing witnesses and recovering a knife from the floor of the bar, police apprehended Ledbetter in his apartment upstairs.
According to the criminal complaint, Ledbetter admitted to stabbing the victim in the leg. The altercation stemmed from a dispute over a relationship with an ex-girlfriend of the defendant.
Ledbetter is in custody pending $10,000 bail. A trial has been scheduled for October 10.
The Grand Jury also indicted 32-year old Walter Boyd for allegedly stealing a handgun from a boat in Sealing Cove Harbor in Sitka, and then trafficking the weapon.
According to the criminal complaint, Boyd stole the 45-caliber Ruger Blackhawk pistol on August 10. The gun had a false ivory handle engraved with eagles. The theft was reported by the owner to police, who later received a call that someone was trying to trade a pistol matching that description for a Honda generator. The person attempting the trade reported that he had purchased the gun from Boyd for $200, with $125 down and $75 to pay later. The individual agreed to allow police to accompany him to complete the transaction in the restroom of Eliason Harbor, where Boyd was arrested.
Theft involving firearms or explosives is a Class C felony. Boyd is being held pending $5,000 bail. His preliminary hearing in Sitka Trial Court is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon (8-23-16).
