Russell Oliver Williams, one of the Kotzebue residents targeted in a joint investigation between the Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotics Team and the Kotzebue pled guilty to charges of Selling Alcohol without a License in a Local Option COmmunity and was sentenced to 11 months on May 30th, 2014.
The investigation that began in October of 2013 culminated in the issuance of search warrants on three residences on April 9th and resulted in the arrests of both Williams and 3-year-old Henry Patrick Simmons. Williams was charged with three counts of Selling without a License at that time. Simmons was charged with Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance III and V. Simmons was also charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor x2.
At arraignment the next day, Williams bail was set at $3,000 and a CATP. But, Simmons, because information was provided to the court that he had utilized minors to distribute controlled substances, had his bail set at $25,000 and a Court Approved Third Party.
On April 18th and 25th, a Grand Jury handed down indictments reflecting the arresting charges.
A Grand Jury convened once again on May 30th in Kotzebue and 22-year-old Colin Ballot was indicted on one charge of Perjury in connection with a False Statement made during during a bail hearing for Simmons while Ballot was under oath. Ballott had been proposed as a possible court approved third party. The Kotzebue District Attorney has issued a summons for Ballott.
Simmons, who is still incarcerated, has another court date on June 4th.