Woman admits guilt
in motorcycle sale
A Conway woman who owns Duncan Outdoors Inc. with her husband is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty May 5 to one of 21 federal structuring charges that the couple were jointly facing.
Patrice Donnell Duncan, 59, admitted May 5 that in September and October 2011, she told a customer she would break up his cash payment for a motorcycle into two payments when she deposited it, so that the bank and the government wouldn't know about the transaction. The customer turned out to be an undercover Internal Revenue Service agent who was wearing a recording device.
Under federal law, a domestic financial institution is required to file a currency transaction report for each deposit, withdrawal, exchange of currency, or other payment or transfer involving more than $10,000 cash. The report to the U.S. Treasury Department identifies the individual making the transaction.
Duncan and her husband, Gary Ronald Duncan, were indicted Sept. 5, 2012, on 21 counts of structuring a financial transaction to evade the reporting requirements. The indictment alleges 21 instances of making partial deposits of less than $10,000 between Oct. 22, 2007, and Oct. 25, 2011.
Patrice Duncan admitted last week to U.S. District Judge James Moody Jr. that she deposited $9,400 from the agent's purchase Oct. 25, 2011, and then deposited the remaining $2,000 Oct. 28, 2011, so the bank wouldn't fill out the transaction forms.
She faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Her husband's trial date is expected to be rescheduled.
-- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Vehicle fatally hits
person on roadside
TULSA -- Tulsa police said one person was struck and killed by a sport utility vehicle while standing on the shoulder of U.S. 169.
Police said the victim was helping load a disabled motorcycle onto a truck Thursday night when the crash occurred. Two other people suffered minor injuries.
Northbound lanes of the highway were shut down as police investigated. Authorities have not released the name of the victim.
Authorities said they don't yet know whether the driver of the SUV will be arrested.
-- The Associated Press
Cherokees agree to
reimbursement deal
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- The Cherokee Nation and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs signed an agreement Friday that will allow the tribe to be reimbursed for services.
Under the agreement, the VA will reimburse the tribe for primary-care services that American Indian veterans use through the Cherokee Nation health center.
The tribe said the agreement will give veterans more flexibility in choosing where they receive health care, allows tribal health employees to enroll veterans for military benefits and will bring in more funding to expand tribal health services.
The signing of the agreement took place Friday at the Cherokee Nation Veterans Center.
-- The Associated Press
Three charged with
kicking 8-year-old
KONAWA, Okla. -- Police in Konawa said two adults and a teenager have been arrested for assault after allegedly kicking an 8-year-old boy in the head while the child wore a football helmet.
Police told The Ada News that the 28-year-old father of the victim, his 33-year-old girlfriend and the woman's 15-year-old son were arrested after police were notified by the state Department of Human Services. Police said a video of the attack was posted on the social media site Instagram on Wednesday, but it was removed by Thursday.
Assistant Police Chief Jason Teel told the newspaper that the 8-year-old has bruising to his neck and chest.
Teel said the 15-year-old is being held at a juvenile detention facility. Online records show the two adults are jailed without bail.
-- The Associated Press
NW News on 05/17/2014