Yellow House owner ruled incompetent

A federal judge has ruled for a second time that a Lawrence man is mentally incompetent to stand trial in three court cases he faces.

U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia this week ruled Guy Neighbors, an owner of The Yellow House Store, could not assist in his defense after originally ordering Neighbors to be examined in December.

In the main case, federal prosecutors accuse Neighbors and his wife, Carrie Neighbors, of selling stolen goods from their secondhand store, 1904 Mass., which remains open. They face 19 charges of wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.

A second superseding indictment was filed in the case in 2008. Law enforcement first searched the couple’s home and store in 2005. In two other pending cases, prosecutors accuse the Neighborses of manufacturing marijuana and obstructing a theft investigation.

In his order, Murguia said he would issue an order about an evaluator’s recommendation regarding medicating Guy Neighbors after a July 14 hearing.

Murguia recently allowed Carrie Neighbors to represent herself in the cases. The Neighborses have repeatedly professed their innocence and accused prosecutors and police of corruption. Carrie Neighbors faces a trial in September.