FARMINGTON ó Sentencing for the man convicted of helping to get a gun for convicted murderer David Edward Drommond was rescheduled to Aug. 18. Second District Judge Michael G. Allphin continued the sentencing hearing for Rian Steven Carlson, 23, but ordered him taken into custody on a probation violation.##M:MORE##
Carlson pleaded guilty in March to a misdemeanor charge of attempted possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, after he arranged to purchase a handgun and ammunition for Drommond, who was then his roommate.
Months later Drommond used the gun to kill his ex-wife Janeil and injure her father, while she was dropping the coupleís children off for a visit at Drommondís home in Bountiful.
At Drommondís sentencing, Carlson said he knew Drommond was depressed about his divorce. Background checks for weapons permits include information about the applicantís mental health.
Drommond pleaded guilty last year to aggravated murder and is serving life without parole in the Utah State Prison.
mwilliams@davisclipper.com
Probe of Walker
will continue
FARMINGTON ó Even though Rep. Mark Walker resigned from the Utah House of Representatives and the Ethics Committee investigation was cancelled, the criminal investigation into allegations of election law violations will continue.
Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings and Weber County Attorney Mark DeCaria were charged with investigating if there were any prosecutable crimes committed in regards to the state treasurerís primary race. And that investigation didnít go away with Walkerís resignation.
Walkerís primary election opponent, Richard Ellis filed a complaint with the lieutenant governorís office in late May alleging that Walker offered Ellis a chance to keep his job as chief deputy state treasurer with a pay raise if Ellis would drop out of the race. Walker denied the allegation, but lost the primary.
ìFrom a legal standpoint, what weíve been asked to do hasnít changed,î Rawlings said Wednesday morning.
He said he and Decaria have already begun interviewing people and they expect when the investigation is completed, they will have much of the same information as would have come out had the Ethics Committee convened.
Walker, a Sandy Republican, resigned from the state House of Representatives in a letter delivered to House Speaker Greg Curtis on July 5. That ended the Ethics Committee investigation just as it was convening.
mwilliams@davisclipper.com