In brief: Baumgartner, Holy endorsed
The Spokane County Republican Party announced Friday endorsements for two more candidates running for offices in Spokane County.
The executive board of the Spokane GOP has endorsed candidates Michael Baumgartner, State Senate 6th District, and Jeff Holy, Spokane County Commissioner Position 3.
The board has already endorsed three incumbent candidates, Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, State Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders and Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley. The GOP tapped former Deputy Prosecutor Dave Stevens in the county prosecutor race and former state Rep. John Ahern in the 6th District House of Representatives race.
For more information, go to www.spokanegop.com.
Man gets 20 years for porn
A Wenatchee man will spend 20 years in federal prison for distributing photos of himself sexually abusing children.
Russell D. Riker, 51, was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Spokane.
The investigation began with an undercover New York detective who busted a child porn peddler from Georgia.
The porn distribution chain was traced to Riker, and federal agents spotted one of the victims playing in Riker’s yard, according to federal court documents. At least one of the children said the abuse had gone on for about eight years.
Riker was arrested on Aug. 7, 2008. He pleaded guilty to producing child pornography in February and was sentenced to 240 months in prison. He’ll be on probation for the rest of his life and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Riker is in Spokane County Jail awaiting transport to prison.
Suspects named in stabbing
Four suspects were named recently in a February stabbing that police believe may have been retaliation for an earlier fight.
Oscar T. Rodriguez, 24, was arrested Tuesday on eight assault and burglary charges connected to a Feb. 10 attack at 907 E. Wabash Ave. that left Michael P. Dennis with a non-life-threatening stab wound in his back.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Jacob M. Maravilla, 21. Two other suspects, Meghan L. Jeske, 21, and Richelle R. Swinkels, 20, have been summoned to court.
Maravilla and Swinkels were arrested the week following the stabbing, but charges weren’t filed until May 10.
Court documents show detectives were tipped on Feb. 24 that Rodriguez may have been involved.
A suspect arrested the day of the attack, 39-year-old Preston R. Tensley, has not been charged. Witnesses first identified Tensley as one of the attackers but then identified Rodriguez in his place.