Grand juries in Sitka have indicted seven people since November, with charges ranging from burglary to vehicle theft.
On November 14, 2024, the grand jury indicted 42-year-old Brandon Ledbetter on one count of felony criminal mischief. According to court documents, Sitka police received a call from the defendant’s biological mother on November 8 stating that her vehicle had been damaged while parked overnight. Upon arrival, police found the vehicle with deep scratch marks and all four tires punctured. The caller showed police text messages from the defendant, which read, “By the way you need new tires, and you might have a few scratches on your passenger side.” Police arrested the defendant and transported him to the Sitka Jail. A trial is scheduled for the week of April 7.
On January 2, the grand jury indicted 47-year-old Georgiana Joseph on three felony counts of criminal mischief, assault, and burglary. According to court documents, troopers received a complaint from an Angoon resident at about 4 a.m. on December 23 that his second cousin, the defendant, was intoxicated and using a log round to break windows at his residence and trying to force entry into his home. Troopers arrived by plane several hours later and found significant damage to the door and windows of the home. Later that day troopers made contact with Joseph, who was sleeping in a van nearby. Joseph admitted to breaking the windows. She was arrested and transported to Lemon Creek Correctional Center. A trial is scheduled for the week of April 28.
On February 27, 31-year-old Jorge Ruiz-Rivera was indicted on two felony counts of stalking after allegedly attempting to contact someone in violation of a protective order. According to court documents, on February 12 troopers intercepted a letter from Ruiz-Rivera, who is currently an inmate at Lemon Creek Correctional Center, after determining that sending the letter violated an active protective order requiring the defendant to not contact the intended recipient. Troopers made contact with the intended recipient, who continued to express concern for her safety and her family’s safety. A trial is scheduled for the week of April 28.
In a separate indictment on February 27, 20-year-old Ricky Allen was indicted on one count of felony criminal mischief. According to court documents, Wrangell police received a call on February 25 that a snack machine at the Wrangell ferry terminal had been vandalized overnight. When police arrived, they found the machine’s glass shattered and a large rock sitting next to a pile of broken glass. Police reviewed security footage, which showed two people swinging something in front of the machine and then walking into a nearby house. After visiting the house, police made contact with the defendant, who admitted to breaking the machine and stated that he was angry because it took his money and the snack item got stuck in the machine. The owner of the machine stated that about 40 dollars of product was missing from the machine, including 13 KitKats and 10 bags of SunChips. He estimated that replacing the machine would cost more than $5,000. The trial is scheduled for the week of May 5.
Finally, three Sitka residents were indicted on January 24 after a January 16 drug bust that turned into a high-speed car chase from downtown to Sitka High School. Thirty-seven-year-year-old Adam Fondell was indicted on three felony counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance, one felony count of criminal mischief, and two felony counts of assault; 47-year-old Casey Douglas was indicted on one felony count of reckless driving, one felony count of criminal mischief, seven felony counts of assault and one felony count of vehicle theft; and 38-year-old April McLaughlin was indicted on two felony counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance. A trial is scheduled for the week of June 2.
