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    Estle “Boomer” Philips
February 8, 2013

Phillips indicted in armed robbery

2 others charged with 1st-degree robbery

By JANIE SLAVEN News Editor

WHITLEY CITY — A McCreary County grand jury has formally indicted the Stearns man accused of robbing Raider One Stop back in September.

    In an indictment returned last Monday, 37-year-old Estle Phillips was charged with first-degree robbery, Theft By Unlawful Taking Under $500 and first-degree Persistent Felony Offender.

 The robbery occurred around 10:30 p.m. on September 23. Officers searched for a lone white male who had walked into Raider One Stop wearing a ski mask, brandishing a black handgun (which turned out to be a BB gun) and demanding money. The suspect fled on foot with approximately $230 along Cabin Creek Road toward the county road garage. Witnesses also reported a small maroon car driving back and forth on Cabin Creek Road not long before the robbery took place.

    As the investigation unfolded, the vehicle — a red 2001 Ford Focus — was traced to Phillips’ girlfriend, who was not involved in the crime. McCreary Sheriff’s Det. David Sampson said that Phillips had been driving the car that Sunday and returned it to his girlfriend some time after 11:30 p.m.

    Phillips eluded authorities until the following Sunday afternoon when Constable Freddie Clark located him riding in a vehicle which he stopped at the intersection of West KY 92 and Wagon Ridge Road in Smithtown. Phillips was taken into custody September 30 without incident. He was still in possession of the BB gun.

    Phillips has been previously convicted of theft-related charges in 2007 and drug trafficking in 2004. He was also indicted in October for receiving stolen property (a 2011 Dodge Ram stolen from JR Jackson Auto Sales).

In a separate robbery case, 51-year-old John R. Helton of Parkers Lake and 39-year-old Michael A. Corder of Whitley City are facing two indictments involving the same victim.

    The men are jointly charged with third-degree burglary and Theft By Unlawful Taking Over $500 But Less Than $10,000 for breaking into a storage building owned by Kenneth West on December 14.

    Helton is individually charged with first-degree PFO for prior convictions of receiving stolen property and criminal mischief (2006) as well as escape.

    The second indictment alleges that the following day (December 15), the pair robbed West, striking him with a crow bar. Helton and Corder are jointly charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree assault and first-degree wanton endangerment.

    Helton again is individually charged with Possession of a Handgun by a Convicted Felon and second-degree PFO for the escape conviction.

    Another big case grand jurors considered in January involved five Pine Knot residents involved in a meth bust on December 14.

    An anonymous tip led to the discovery of a meth lab where a batch had just been cooked. Arrested at the scene were Billie D. Jeffers, 35; David J. Hardwick, 34; Darleah N. Hardwick, 37;  Lacie Douglas, 33; and Crystal Faye Collins, 34.

    They have been jointly charged with Manufacture of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (syringes and plastic baggies).

    The grand jury also returned indictments against:

    • Bobby A. Eldridge, 22, of Stearns — second-degree burglary and Theft by Unlawful Taking Over $500 But Less Than $10,000. On November 27, Eldridge unlawfully entered the home of Bobby E. Eldridge and took various items.

    • Shannon Jones of 1273 Hwy. 1651, Stearns — second-degree Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument. On November 14, Jones cashed a $120 check at Larry’s Somerset Oil  with the forged signature of Robert Hatfield.

    • Kendra Baker Layne of 105 Meagan Court, Somerset — Fraudulent Use of a Debit Card Over $500 But Less Than $10,000. Between August 22 and November 15, Layne used a debit card to pay bills without the knowledge of the holder.

    • Kenneth Ross Jr., 36, of Stearns — Receiving Stolen Property Over $500 But Less Than $10,000 and first-degree PFO. On November 30, Ross was found with aluminum ramps reported stolen from Terry Taylor. He has been previously convicted on Receiving a Stolen Firearm (1999), forgery-related charges (2003), and robbery and possession of a forged instrument (2007).



 Readers are reminded that an indictment is a charge and should not be considered as evidence of an individual’s guilt. Anyone under indictment is presumed innocent until and unless convicted in a court of law.

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