District Court News

An arraignment hearing was held Thursday in Fourth Judicial District Court in Sheridan for a man charged with two counts of theft. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

On June 21, 2026, the Sheridan Police Department responded to a report of littering in the Home Depot parking lot. Once on scene, law enforcement located the suspect vehicle and determined that the occupants of the vehicle were likely involved in a shoplifting case earlier that day at Wal-Mart. A search warrant was obtained and numerous stolen items were found in the vehicle which led to the arrest of 46-year-old Joseph Larson and a co-defendant.

Larson, at an arraignment hearing Thursday in District Court, pleaded not guilty to one count of felony theft and one count of misdemeanor theft. The felony charge is from Larson allegedly stealing $1,906 in items from Wal-Mart and the misdemeanor charge is from him allegedly stealing $223 in merchandise from Rocky Mountain Discount Sports. Both of the alleged crimes occurred on June 21. 

District Court Judge Darci Phillips scheduled a three-day jury trial to begin March 22, 2027. A pretrial conference will take place February 18 at 10 am. Larson’s bond was continued under the same terms and conditions that were previously set in Circuit Court with the added condition that he have no contact with the co-defendant in the case. The felony theft charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, while the misdemeanor charge is punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $750.

Also from District Court:

A change of plea hearing was held Thursday in Fourth Judicial District Court in Sheridan for 35-year-old Ashlee Russ. Pursuant to the terms of a plea agreement reached with the State, Russ pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance – methamphetamine.

The State is recommending a sentence of 4 to 10 years in prison and to run the sentence concurrent to the sentence she receives in a separate drug case before District Court Judge Ben Kirven, which is also a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine charge.

District Court Judge Darci Phillips ordered that a presentence investigation report be completed by the Department of Corrections Division of Probation and Parole and scheduled sentencing for December 17 at 10:30 am. The sentencing before Judge Kirven is scheduled for 11:30 am on December 17.

The State is also recommending a sentence of 4 to 10 years in prison for that conspiracy charge. Russ’s bond was revoked and she was remanded to the custody of the Sheridan County Detention Center pending sentencing. Her arrest was part of an investigation by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation into a methamphetamine distribution ring in Sheridan County.