Newton Police Department
• Zacharian L. Laffoon, 23, of Newton, was charged with operating under the influence first offense at 3:26 a.m. March 14 in the 200 block of First Street North. According to the Newton Police Department, officers stopped a vehicle operated by Laffoon for having an expired registration. He smelled of alcohol and had red, watery eyes. Baffin told officers he had had a “couple mixed drinks.” He completed field sobriety testing and was determined to be impaired. Laffoon provided a sample for a preliminary breath test which indicated a BrAC of .141. He was placed under arrest. Laffoon provided a sample from the datamaster which indicated a BrAC of .132. He was cited and released.
• Joanna J. May, 37, of Oskaloosa, was charged with unlawful possession of prescription drugs from an incident at 10 p.m. Oct. 21 in the 200 block of South Eighth Avenue East. According to the Newton Police Department, officers were dispatched to the Newton Health Care Center in reference to missing prescription medication. Upon arrival, Newton police spoke with staff who stated overnight a pack of prescription medication had come up missing. Officers also learned that staff located the missing pill pack in the shred box without any pills inside. Newton Health Care staff also stated a fax was sent overnight for the missing medication, when only one nurse was working. The nurse was identified as May. Detective spoke with another employee who conducted a routine morning audit with May, who stated while going through the medication a blister pack was located. The employee stated May took the log that should have accompanied the medication, and stated she would advise the director of nursing. Detectives eventually spoke to May who admitted during her shift, she was the only person who had keys to the medication that went missing, never passed any medication from the cart, never told the director of nursing about the missing pills after the morning audit and believed another employee placed the log that she removed from the med cart in the shred box. She was charged on March 5, was cited and released.
• Patti L. Gardner, 60, of Newton, was charged with fifth-degree theft at 10:09 a.m. March 7 in the 1000 block of First Avenue East. According to the Newton Police Department, officers were dispatched to Casey’s for a shoplifting incident. Gardner was seen taking merchandise into the bathroom and then exiting the store without paying for the items. She was seen leaving the store in a gray vehicle. Officers found the vehicle matching the description traveling westbound in the 800 block of First Avenue East. Newton police stopped the vehicle and made contact with Gardner. She gave permission to officers to search her bags where they found a pair of Pugs sunglasses in the bag and a phone charger in a blue and black sealed box in the center console of the vehicle. Both items matched the description of the merchandise taken from Casey’s. Gardener admitted to being in the store trying on sunglasses and looking at cell phone cards. She also admitted to going into the bathroom. Casey’s staff confirmed that these were items that had been taken. The merchandise was valued at $36.98. She was cited and released.
• Benjamin T. Gordon, 44, of Newton, was charged at 6:23 a.m. March 5 with trespass for entering the Newton Post Office through a back door after previously being banned from the property. He was cited and released.