In brief: Scammer’s husband wants to keep cars

The husband of convicted loan shop fraudster Doris Nelson is asking the government to return two luxury vehicles seized in its investigation.

Dennis Nelson said he spent more than $100,000 on a 2008 Mercedes-Benz luxury sedan and a 2008 Chevrolet Corvette, both of which prosecutors said the Nelsons must forfeit because they were paid for using money from schemes that bilked investors out of about $50 million. Doris Nelson pleaded guilty in April to 110 criminal counts of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, then unsuccessfully attempted to rescind her pleas. She was sentenced to nine years in federal prison in November, but an appeal of that sentence has been filed, according to court records. She is not currently in custody, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Dennis Nelson said in his request that he spent the money on the cars not knowing they would be subject to civil forfeiture. The car titles are in his name, he said. The Nelsons are not contesting the forfeiture of other items, which include cash, snowmobiles and dozens of items of expensive jewelry.

Man gets three years for trafficking heroin

A Spokane Valley man has been sentenced in Kootenai County to three years in prison for trafficking in heroin and violating probation from a prior conviction.

Daryl L. Warfield, 30, was sentenced Monday by 1st District Court Judge Fred Gibler. He was arrested Nov. 4 by the North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force. After a traffic stop, he was found with a syringe and a bottle with heroin in his pocket. Warfield, who has a prior felony conviction for possession of a forged document, pleaded guilty to the trafficking offense.

County Prosecuting Attorney Barry McHugh said the report in the case indicated Warfield was distributing heroin in the Post Falls area.

“A significant sentence was appropriate given Mr. Warfield’s criminal history, the fact that he was in possession of heroin while on probation, and the addictive and destructive nature of heroin,” McHugh said Tuesday.

Idaho snowmobiler safe after rescue

MULLAN, Idaho – An Idaho snowmobiler who went missing Sunday was rescued after he was found trapped in a steep Montana drainage near the state line.

Shoshone County Sheriff Mitch Alexander said five friends followed 54-year-old Barry Sadler’s snowmobile track and found him early Tuesday. He was dehydrated and exhausted but otherwise all right.