Local News

A Jacksonville man pleaded guilty today to tax evasion, not paying employment taxes, bank fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon. Joel Matthew Caswell, 31, pleaded guilty to a Superseding Information charging three counts of tax evasion, three counts of willful failure to pay over employment taxes, one count of bank fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to documents and statements made in court, Caswell has ownership and managing interests in multiple logging and construction businesses that collectively employed approximately 40 employees. He was the trustee and a beneficiary of the Caswell Family Trust. From 2018 through 2022, Caswell withheld but failed to pay over trust fund taxes for multiple businesses. In 2019, these unpaid payroll taxes resulted in the IRS assessing the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty. To evade the IRS’s ability to collect what was owed, Caswell directed customers to write checks to other companies or him personally, moved business funds, and lied to collection officers. Separately, between 2022 and 2024, Caswell executed multiple fraud schemes in Oregon that involved submitting fabricated financial records to a bank, a private lender, and the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) to secure loans. Additionally, Caswell used the name, Social Security number, and date of birth of Adult Victim 1 to obtain a residential mortgage.

 

A man was arrested after breaking into the Lil' Pantry and helping himself to the merchandise after employees had left.

Early this morning at 4:17 a.m., the store manager opened the 979 Rogue River Highway business to find the suspect, Harwinder Singh, had somehow broken into the store and was sleeping in the back storage room.

There was no reported damage to the front of the store, and the door was still locked when the manager arrived. Trash was surrounding the suspect when officers arrived.

According to the police report, Singh remained unlawfully inside the business after closing, and had helped himself to snacks and beer inside before falling asleep. He was arrested for Second Degree Burglary, and lodged in the Adult Jail Facility.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners held a workshop at 1:30 p.m. in consideration of department business. The board moved 2-0 to pass a resolution affirming tobacco retail enforcement as the primary strategy to prevent youth access to tobacco and nicotine products. The resolution would also protect adult consumer choice. Commissioner Colene Martin abstained citing a conflict of interest. The board approved agreements brought by the Sheriff's Office including an Intergovernmental County and City Lease agreement, and a City of Cave Junction Contract Deputy agreement. A United States Forest Service Cooperative Law enforcement agreement, paying $50,000 annually for Sheriff's deputies to patrol national forest lands, passed 3-0. Property Management gave an update regarding the Relocation of County Departments, including Public Health, Facilities, and Planning. Available spaces within the county have been toured before any potential leases are to be considered. According to Property Management, the Dimmick sale is still progressing. July 22nd is the end of due diligence, with the closing to come on or before August 21st. Whether the sale goes through or not will be determined mid-July.

 

A woman was arrested by Grants Pass Police for refusing to leave Asante Three Rivers Medical Center after having been discharged Monday night.

Emergency Room staff at the 500 SW Ramsey Avenue hospital called 911 around 11:20 p.m. requesting the suspect, Sara Pierce, be trespassed after she was refusing to leave her room.

Dispatch learned Pierce would not listen to security at the hospital, and upon the arrival of officers, she refused to comply with orders to gather her things and leave the premises.

Officers took Pierce into custody and transported her to the Josephine County Jail. She was lodged for a charge of Second Degree Criminal Trespass.

 

Grants Pass Police officers apprehended a man wanted on an Oregon State Parole Board warrant following a foot chase Monday afternoon.

The suspect, Bobby Swearingen, was located wearing a black hoodie, backpack, and hat near the Fred Meyer at 1101 Grants Pass Parkway. He proceeded to flee from officers on foot on Beacon Drive before ducking behind an apartment complex at the corner of Beacon and Fairview Avenue.

Officers outperformed Swearingen and forced him to the ground near the Parkway Christian Center around 5:15 p.m. He was wanted on a weapon offense warrant, and was promptly taken into custody without further incident. Officers lodged him in jail at 5:37 p.m.

 

The fire danger level on Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Southwest Oregon District-protected land will increase to moderate Thursday, June 11th, at 12:01 a.m. Lands affected by this declaration include 1.8 million acres of state, private, county, city and Bureau of Land Management forestlands in Jackson and Josephine counties. The Industrial Fire Precaution Level will remain at one. Despite recent cooler days, vegetation continues to dry, and the increasing heat will accelerate that drying as temperatures climb toward the 100 degree mark. This combination of ongoing drying and rising heat is increasing fire danger and prompting the shift to moderate on Thursday. Public fire restrictions will take effect on that date. Open fires will be prohibited, and the use of chainsaws, the cutting, grinding, and welding of metal, and the mowing of dead or dried grass with power-driven equipment will not be permitted between 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Motorized vehicles, including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, will be allowed only on improved roads free of flammable vegetation. Any other spark-emitting internal combustion engine use is not allowed between 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. during moderate fire danger.

 

A woman was taken into custody for shoplifting at the Grange Co-Op, and further investigation by Grants Pass Police led to arrest of a man for a weapon possession charge.

Loss prevention from the 1710 Schutzwohl Lane store had taken the woman into custody for depriving the business of approximately $30 worth of merchandise. She was cooperative, and was identified as Breanna Owens-Smith around 3:14 p.m.

Charges for Theft and possibly Trespass were requested, and officers responded to the scene. Upon arrival, probable cause was found for Felon in Possession of a Firearm against a man named Edgar Ortiz. He was taken into custody, and Owens-Smith was transported by American Medical Response to a hospital for a sudden health incident.

Officers transported Ortiz to jail where he was lodged on his weapon charge.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man after he caused over $500 in damage to a mobile home Monday morning.

Dispatch was alerted to the incident by the owner of the mobile home in the 1200 block of Rogue River Highway. It was stated a man was sleeping inside around 9:20 a.m., and that there was damage to the skirt of the mobile home inside the storage unit.

The suspect was described as wearing a brown jacket with black pants and brown shoes. The caller told dispatch the suspect would be prevented from leaving until law enforcement arrived.

Officers were able to located and contact the suspect, Keith Nutting, at the scene. He was placed under arrest for Second Degree Criminal Mischief for recklessly causing property damage. Police assisted Nutting to his feet, as he was displaying multiple signs of impairment, and empty alcohol containers were located at the scene.

He was transported to the Josephine County Jail and lodged on his charge.

 

Homeowners who have struggled to make mortgage payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic may still be eligible for assistance, but the last chance to apply is coming up.

According to Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), because program funds are running low, they will close the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) program to new applications at 8 a.m. June 15th.

Applications are processed in the order they are completed, meaning OHCS has received all required information from both the homeowner and servicer. Applicants are not guaranteed to be funded even if they are eligible. 

In February, OHCS reopened HAF to support eligible homeowners who have experienced severe financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Homeowners must have a primary mortgage with a participating mortgage servicing company that is 90 days or more past due in order to be eligible for assistance.

Eligible homeowners can qualify for up to $50,000 in grant funds, regardless of whether they’ve previously received HAF payments. Payments will be made directly to their servicer to reinstate their mortgage. Homeowners can learn more about eligibility criteria and application requirements at oregonhomeownerassistance.org.