Muscatine Police Department press release regarding incident at 806 Oak Street

The following is a press release from the Muscatine Police Department:

Today, on June 29, 2013, at 3:16 p.m. the Muscatine County Joint Communications Center received a telephone call reporting a disturbance at 806 Oak Avenue, Muscatine, Iowa. Officers were immediately dispatched to that location. Officers heard multiple gunshots when they arrived at the scene. Officers followed protocol by establishing a perimeter and calling out the Muscatine Special Response Team. Also responding to the scene was the Muscatine County Sheriff's Department.

The SRT entered the residence and found two subjects inside who had suffered apparent gunshot wounds. One person was found deceased inside the residence. The other person was transported from the scene by the Muscatine Fire Department to Trinity Hospital in Muscatine and then to the University of Iowa Hospitals

and Clinics in Iowa City.

The incident is still under investigation. The identity of the persons involved is being withheld at this time pending notification of next of kin. This department anticipates releasing identity information on Monday, July 1, 2013.

Further inquiries regarding this incident may be directed to Muscatine Police Department Lt. Jeff Jirak at 563-263-9922, x605.

Suspended prison sentence for former Muscatine city employee

Today, June 14, 2013, in Muscatine County District Court DIANA FRY, DOB: 8/24/1959, of Muscatine, was sentenced for the offense of Theft in the First Degree. FRY had been arrested after an investigation by the Muscatine Police Department showed that she had taken approximately $15,512 from the City of Muscatine where she had worked as a clerical employee in the finance department. The court imposed a suspended prison sentence of not to exceed ten years and a fine of $1,000.

"As a condition of her plea agreement the defendant paid $8,500 in a lump sum to the Clerk of Court today at her sentencing," said Muscatine County Attorney Alan R. Ostergren. "This figure was selected because it was the City's deductible for its insurance policy. FRY will be required to pay back the remainder of the money over the course of her period of supervised probation. If she willfully fails to pay restitution during that time period I will seek to revoke her probation," Ostergren continued. FRY's restitution obligation includes a requirement that she pay the City's audit costs of $5,598.

"Theft of public money is a serious matter," Ostergren said. "My concern is to punish the defendant and to get the taxpayers paid back as quickly as possible. FRY is now a convicted felon and the taxpayers of Muscatine are on the way to being made whole," he added.

Updated to reflect the breakdown between restitution amount for funds taken and the audit costs which FRY must repay.

In other matters before the Court today:

RYAN LARUE, DOB: 5/14/1985, of Muscatine, pled guilty to Domestic Assault Strangulation, a class "D" felony, and Driving While Barred. LARUE had been arrested by the Muscatine Police Department after an incident on April 10, 2013, in which he assaulted the mother of his minor child. The assault charge is a forcible felony which will require the court to impose a sentence of incarceration. LARUE will be sentenced August 3, 2013, at 9:00 a.m.

KELLY HALLER, DOB: 8/14/1984, of Muscatine, pled guilty to two counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance. Investigation by the Muscatine County Drug Task Force showed that HALLER delivered the prescription drug Adderral on two separate occasions. HALLER will be sentenced July 26, 2013, at 9:15 a.m.

Guilty plea and prison sentence for cocaine distribution

AUSTIN HOUDEK, DOB: 11/1/1988, of Muscatine, pled guilty to two counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance. He agreed to immediate sentencing and was sentenced to two concurrent terms of not to exceed ten years imprisonment.

HOUDEK was arrested following an investigation by the Muscatine County Drug Task Force in which he delivered cocaine on two separate occasions.