Chase, rape, escapee indicted in Highland County

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A Highland County Grand Jury on Tuesday indicted a woman who allegedly led police on a high-speed chase up U.S. Route 62 with two juveniles in the back of a car that was registered as stolen.

Misty Cowan, 39, Leesburg, was indicted Tuesday on one count of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony; two counts of endangering children, a first-degree misdemeanor; and one count of receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony.

As previously reported, Cowan was arrested Aug. 30 after she allegedly fled from Leesburg police at Fairfield High School with two juveniles in a stolen car, reaching speeds of more than 100 mph on U.S. Route 62 before being thwarted by traffic near Staunton in Fayette County.

Leesburg Police Chief Shane Nolley told The Times-Gazette that Madison County authorities had been in contact with his department about a stolen vehicle suspected to be in the area, and when he received an anonymous tip that the vehicle was at Fairfield High School, Nolley went to investigate.

According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, the tipster said Cowan planned on leaving for West Virginia after picking up her children from school.

When Nolley located the vehicle, he found that the tags were fictitious, and the driver, who had a felony warrant from Madison County for fraud, was in the driver’s seat.

Nolley said he told Misty Cowan, 39, Leesburg, to shut off the vehicle, but she allegedly refused and took off northbound on SR 771 with two juveniles in the vehicle. According to Cowan’s indictment, the juveniles were ages 11 and 14.

Nolley said he pursued the vehicle through Leesburg to U.S. Route 62, where it headed northbound.

It was then that the vehicle exceeded 100 mph on the U.S. route, the chief said, weaving in and out of traffic across double yellow lines.

“It ended up just south of Staunton,” Nolley said.

Fayette County authorities had placed spike strips in the road and traffic had become congested. The suspect vehicle became stuck between two cars, and Nolley was able to apprehend Cowan and place her under arrest.

Highland County Children Services responded to the scene and placed the two juveniles with family members, according to Nolley. Cowan was transported to the Highland County Jail.

Nolley said Cowan allegedly purchased the vehicle at a car lot in Madison County using a fraudulent check, and it was listed as stolen.

Nolley said the Leesburg Police Department was assisted by the Highland County Sheriff’s Office, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and Washington Court House Police Department.

There were no reported injuries and Cowan was taken into custody without incident, Nolley said.

Also Tuesday, Matthew Lee Greene, 35, Greenfield, was indicted for rape after he allegedly engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with a juvenile beginning in September 2014, when the victim was 14.

Greene was indicted on two counts of rape, a first-degree felony.

In other indictments, Dwayne Devine Jr., 25, Hillsboro, was indicted on a variety of charges after he escaped from a jail work detail in September.

As previously reported, Devine escaped while he was on work detail at the Turning Point Applied Learning Center at 110 Homestead Ave. in Hillsboro on Sept. 6. Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera said the doors are not locked at Turning Point and DeVine was working inside when he fled out one of the doors.

The sheriff said DeVine was last spotted running into a large cornfield on Keplinger Road off U.S. Route 50 on Sept. 6, but officers were unable to locate him at the time. He was later apprehended at a trailer at Rocky Fork Lake.

Devine was indicted Tuesday on one count of breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony; one count theft, a first-degree misdemeanor; and one count receiving stolen property, a first-degree misdemeanor.

The following people were also indicted Tuesday:

• Timothy Jackson, 32, Greenfield, one count aggravated possession of drugs and one count aggravated possession of methamphetamine, both fifth-degree felonies; one count receiving stolen property and one count improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle, both fourth-degree felonies. The indictment includes a forfeiture specification, a component of a criminal indictment which lists property subject to forfeiture due to its involvement in a crime.

• Michael L. Holland, 61, Hillsboro, one count grand theft of a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony.

• Ronald W. Cambron, 41, and Shawn Lee Cambron, 39, both of Batavia, one count breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony; one count theft, a first-degree misdemeanor; and one count possessing criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony.

• Shannon R. James, 47, Hillsboro, one count aggravated possession of methamphetamine.

• Logan W. Elliott, 29, Cincinnati, one count aggravated possession of methamphetamine.

• Bethany Moore, 36, Bainbridge, one count failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony; and one count grand theft of a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony.

• Calleen D. Leffler, 48, Hillsboro, one count aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine, a fourth-degree felony; one count trafficking in counterfeit controlled substances, a fifth-degree felony; aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine, a fourth-degree felony; and one count aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony.

• Amy M. Evers, 34, Hillsboro, one count aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony.

• Ty Timothy Erskine, 43, Bainbridge, one count aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a third-degree felony.

• Chester H. Shinkle Jr., 46, Lynchburg, one count aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a third-degree felony.

• Joseph G. Rankin, 30, Hillsboro, one count aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony.

• DeWayne L. Whitt, 54, Hillsboro, one count domestic violence, a fourth-degree felony.

• Rick J. Nichols, 34, Peebles, one count aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony.

• Cory Humphrey, 28, Latham, one count aggravated possession of drugs.

Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570.

Cowan
http://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2018/10/web1_f-misty-cowan-mugshot.jpgCowan
Grand jury hands down charges on 15 others

By David Wright

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