Eudoran charged with aiding felon

A 20-year-old Eudora man has been charged in Shawnee County District Court with aiding a felon in connection with a fatal shooting last month in Topeka.

Shawnee County Dist. Atty. Robert Hecht said Friday that Dale L.D. Erwin sold a gun to Jesse James Romero that was used to shoot Mark Duncan at a car wash on July 7. Hecht said Erwin also disposed of the gun after the slaying.

Three men are charged with first-degree murder in Duncan’s death: Romero, 19, and Michael Owen Bennett, 26, both of Topeka, and Jesse Dean Chandler, 18, of Claremore, Okla.

Erwin was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Eudora and was charged Friday. A preliminary hearing for him has been set for Sept. 8-10.

In response to Hecht’s comments Friday on Erwin’s involvement in the case, District Judge Eric Rosen issued a gag order Saturday forbidding all attorneys involved in the case from talking about it outside of court.

Budget hearing on tap at De Soto school board

The De Soto school board will conduct a budget hearing at 6 p.m. today at the district’s administrative office, 35200 W. 91st St.

After the budget hearing, the board will move into its regular meeting, at which time the board will consider approving the 2004-2005 budget.

Board members also will hear a report about teen suicide and receive a report about the De Soto Education fund.

Oskaloosa felon admits to gun charge

John Patrick Hargis, 33, Oskaloosa, pleaded guilty last week to a count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and a count of making a false written statement to a firearms dealer to obtain a firearm, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Kansas announced.

Hargis was convicted in 1995 of sexual battery in Wyandotte County and thus forbidden under federal law from carrying a firearm.

He faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison, without parole, on each count. Sentencing is set to take place in November in U.S. District Court in Topeka.