Solon man arrested for extorting Regina coaches

[Pinehawk]

Remember the rumors of Regina steroid use last fall? Well, they arrested a man from Solon yesterday for making it up and slandering the coaches and team. That is just really, really sad.



"Stone, who wrote the letters anonymously, claimed to be representing a group called "Regina Parents for Responsible Athletics". Police say he accused Regina coaches and staff of distributing performance enhancing drugs to athletes, and that if certain demands were not met he would leak the accusations to the news media. The letter writer encouraged other schools to protest playing Regina and demanded Regal players submit to drug testing before games.

DNA evidence determined Stone to be the author of the letters. He refused to cooperate with the investigation.
Stone is charged with 3rd Degree Harassment and Interference with Official Acts. If convicted he faces a maximum of 60 days in jail.

Regina travels to Solon on August 29th to kick off KCJJ's high school football coverage."

Solon man arrested

 

[rkhemp]

Very sad.

 

[cidhawkeye]

Not a reflection on Solon fans who have always been pretty decent. I was surprised when Regina beat Solon to end their 42 game streak how many of their parents let us know that they were glad it was against Regina. Good folks all the way around.

 

[LukeFeddersen]

Is this real?

Serious question. How did they use DNA evidence here? Did he sign it in blood?

 

[Pinehawk]

Not a reflection on all of their fans or program for sure...but it's a big black eye. I just spoke with a Solon parent who said this guy was a huge, vocal fan at the games and seemed a little off at times.

I just hope this story gets as much play as the 'Steroids at Regina' article got. Because that was picked up by the newspapers and media and unfairly made disparaging claims about the program. And, undoubtedly people won't hear about this story and see that it was all lies made up by a jealous rival fan in an elaborate crime.

A snippet from the Press-Citizen article that just came out:


Iowa City Sgt. Scott Gaarde said the investigation into Stone's claims did not provide any indication that steroid use had occurred among members of the Regina football program.
"Our investigation into this matter did not provide any shred of evidence that these allegations had any validity to them," Gaarde said.
Solon football coach Kevin Miller confirmed that Stone's son was a former Solon football player.
"I'm disappointed in the alleged actions and comments made by Dan," Miller said. "In no way do his actions represent the view of the Solon coaches, players and anyone associated with our program. We hold the Regina program and community in the highest regard."

Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek said in an email that the interference with official acts charge came about after a scuffle when officers attempted to arrest Stone at his home. However, the threat of Taser use calmed him down.

Press-Citizen Article with more details

 

[Pinehawk]

Originally posted by LukeFeddersen:
Is this real?

Serious question. How did they use DNA evidence here? Did he sign it in blood?

He probably licked the envelopes or the stamp is my guess.
Some pretty impressive police work really.

 

[tm3308]

I didn't think Regina could beat down Solon much worse than 35-0, but it could be interesting to see them try this fall.

Honestly, though, there is a ton of respect between the programs at Regina and Solon. Several former players at Regina, including Riley Dixon and Mark Ward, have said that Solon has had a big role in Regina's current run of dominance. Solon set the bar for them to reach for a few years ago, and Regina watches the game tape from their win to snap Solon's streak each year, with the knowledge that if they play at the level that that Regina team did on that night, they won't lose to anyone.

 

[Vroom_C14]

Wow just wow. I know that guy and I won't comment on him. Glad to see that those that represent Regina on here know that he is the exception not the rule.

 

[usfhawk]

This is sad.

Was curious what ever came to that story.

 

[pribs36]

I feel very bad for the Solon fans who don't associate themselves with this behavior and also there head coach who is a great man and use to coach for Regina. With that being said hopefully this is a lesson learned that you shouldn't take these kinds of actions under any circumstance, especially high school athletics..pretty pathetic. This man could have at least been smart enough to not send the letters the same week the two schools faced off though lol most people figured it was someone from Solon..

 

[eyecy]

The last paragraph of the linked article: "Regina travels to Solon on August 29th to kick off KCJJ's high school football coverage."

I'm going to go out a limb and write that will be a very interesting game. I'm sure it was going to a big game before this.

 

[mtdew_fever]

For a simple misdemeanor charge punishable of up to 30 days and a fine of $65-625.....isn't it a little overkill to pull in their DNA lab for something like this?

I realize this is slander case, but as a tax payer I'd rather have the police utilize their time and resources a bit more constructively.

 

[ghost80]

For once we actually agree Dew. According to studies done by the National Institute of Justice the cost of DNA testing (just the lab tests) is $1,100 to $1,400. What many people don't realize is all the other costs and manpower to obtain and execute the DNA test plus the cost associated with testing those not charged and the average cost spikes to $14,169 for each arrest made due to DNA testing. Unlike what you see on TV there are not large databases of DNA available on the general public. You don't just pop it in a machine and a few minutes later you get a hit from someone whose DNA is in the system. It just doesn't work that way. There is also the whole chain of custody for the evidence since DNA samples are easily contaminated and can even be easily planted.

DNA testing is not normally done for something this petty and I am quite surprised the Iowa City police department did it in this case especially being non violent and non reoccurring in nature. I would be interested in knowing if the work on this was really done by someone hired by Regina and then the evidence turned over to the police.

 

[ghost80]

This whole thing is really more or a civil matter than criminal. Had this idiot tried to blackmail the school for money that would be a different story.

I'm not certain Regina will pursue this in civil court. I wouldn't. While I'm sure the school and coaches are innocent they have no idea what can be said and or proved by this guy in a courtroom. You also never know how a jury will see things. Their program is the victim in the public eye by this guy being arrested and charged and it could be best to leave it at that.

Why give him the opportunity to have a day in court? Even if what he says is garbage that wouldn't be good for the school or any coaches/players he would implicate and could try to smear.

 

[Vroom_C14]

Matthew 6:14-15 NIV

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

 

[OILCHECKER]

Pretty sure when this was first made public last year or whenever it was, that someone on here predicted it was a Solon parent behind this.

 

[Pinehawk]

I certainly don't have a problem with utilizing resources for solving this crime. It clearly wasn't a priority for the police or lab as they had the letters in August and only recently (9 months later) were able to complete the testing and make an arrest.
While the crime may seem petty, there is something very wrong about what this individual has been accused of doing.

This is the kind of person that needs to be stopped. Because if they get away with it, maybe next time he's blackmailing his employer, or maybe he's the kind of guy who would send letters full of white powder to politicians.

Regina suffered negative consequences from these lies and this crime. And, I'm glad the truth has come out. Hopefully it sends a message to fans that there is a line that shouldn't be crossed.

 

[Vroom_C14]

Seems (to me) sports have really taken on a new life in the past 6-8 years. A higher % (still low but enough to be noticed) of parents are really trying to live through their kids, taking WAY to serious.

I agree with Pine - if the precedence is set with a slap on the wrist then what will the future hold?

 

[rkhemp]

While the whole story is sad and weird, let's not go over board here. He must be "stopped" before someone sends white powder to a politician, really? This wasn't close to being the crime of the century. The public shaming I am sure will be enough for this guy. Did he even try to extort anything from the coaches or school? What were the demands? Well, I guess I feel safer that Johnson County now has a MRAP to deal with these kinds of criminals.

This post was edited on 7/11 1:21 PM by rkhemp

 

[Pinehawk]

It's no more of a reach than Mr. Stone made.
He did make extortion demands. He sent letters to every school in the district along with the IAHSAA and asked that the district schools not play Regina which would have resulted in a financial loss. He demanded that if Regina did not drug test the athletes (at a very significant cost to the school) that he would go to the media. Regina had to dedicate staff hours and money to investigate the matter internally and with police. And, then he did go to the media which resulted in damage to the reputation of the school and it's athletes which could certainly be justification for punitive damages.

But, after the criminal case concludes, the right thing to do is to just move on.

 

[rkhemp]

It is more of a reach. You have one adult who harassed a high school football program, and you have another adult claim that if he wasn't stopped it could lead him to committing a terrorist threat. Kinda a big step.

The whole story is sad, but Regina's image wasn't tarnished. You got your guy. Fine him, probation, maybe ban him from the game, and move on.

 

[Pinehawk]

Arrested again.



"A Solon man accused of sending threatening letters about the Regina High School football program has been arrested again.

44-year-old Daniel Lee Stone of River Birch Run was booked into the Johnson County Jail just after 8:15 Thursday night. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office says Stone was required to provide income information for a pair of loans from the same bank in 2012. Stone supplied what appeared to be two W-2 forms for 2010 and 2011, as well as a 1099 form showing additional income for 2011. Investigators discovered that the 1099 form appeared to be forged, and there was conflicting information between the two sets of W-2 forms.

Stone is charged with 1st Degree Fraudulent Practices. If convicted he faces a maximum of ten years in prison."

This post was edited on 8/9 11:30 PM by Pinehawk

KCJJ article

 

[rkhemp]

Way to keep every one up-to-date on the happenings of Mr. Stone, Pine. Whatever you do, don't let the story die! You may be more obsessed with Mr. Stone than he was with Regina. What bank was it? Why is he getting charged with it 2 years after the fact, after he had been arrested for the letters? Is there Regina influence at the bank? Does it take 2 years to investigate forged tax forms that conflict, but less than a year to collect DNA from letters sent to school districts? Was he late on payments? Was the bank too incompetent to figure it out in 2012? Did the bank recently hire Lois Lerner? These are just a few of the questions I have.


This post was edited on 8/10 1:05 PM by rkhemp

This post was edited on 8/10 1:57 PM by rkhemp

 

[regaldad]

Chill rk

 

[cidhawkeye]

Nice effort on asking some additional questions to keep the story alive Kemp. Perhaps he posted it to show that guy has more issues and isn't a reflection of the Solon fan base.

 

[rkhemp]

Highly doubt that CID. Nice try though. I don't know the man, but the people who were hurt most in this case was his family, not the student athletes at Regina. There are fools in every community, even Regina's.

It just surprises me how many serious crimes go unsolved, but when someone sends a harassing letter to Regina, our resources are used to catch the man within a year. And then, it takes 2 years to figure out his tax returns did not match and were forged on a loan. So if we are going to constantly beat this man up and air his dirty laundry to the public, please give us all the facts. When did an investigation into his loan start and why? If it began 2 years ago, that seems an awful long time to catch something that seems to be obvious. If it happened after his DNA was taken off letters he sent to Regina, that would make some one wonder.



This post was edited on 8/10 9:23 PM by rkhemp

 

[tm3308]

Financial investigations like that, I'm guessing, probably take longer by nature. That's why it's smart to keep your financial records going back a LONG time, because you never know when the IRS is going to come calling and start asking questions about stuff that happened years ago. Following a paper trail takes longer than having physical evidence.

And for crying out loud, you're suggesting this is some sort of conspiracy revolving around his screwing with Regina? Go home, rk. You're drunk.

 

[rkhemp]

This isn't IRS. This was a bank loan. Why was his loan application being looked at? Was there an audit at the bank? If what you say is true, those facts will come out. It is on a football forum about a man arrested for extorting Regina coaches, so I was putting the Regina angle on it. If not for the Regina angle, it has nothing to do with high school football. Loan application paperwork, tax returns etc, are physical evidence. Maybe it takes 2 years to uncover it, maybe it doesn't. Facts: A Solon man was arrested in 2014 9 months after he sent crazy letters to Regina. A month or so later, the man is arrested for forging tax documents on a bank loan on a crime he is alleged to have committed in 2012.

It is probably just a coincidence, but I brought up the questions. If you don't think people or groups are targeted for these type of things, then maybe you should stop drinking and crawl back under your rock.

And after looking up his public records, he has a long laundry list of filings against him from businesses and banks. I am kinda surprised he even qualified for a loan in 2012. With such a list, I would think banks would take a closer look at his application. But the timing of this arrest still looks fishy in a conspiracy type way

This post was edited on 8/11 8:19 AM by rkhemp

 

[tm3308]

Originally posted by rkhemp:
This isn't IRS. This was a bank loan. Why was his loan application being looked at? Was there an audit at the bank? If what you say is true, those facts will come out. It is on a football forum about a man arrested for extorting Regina coaches, so I was putting the Regina angle on it. If not for the Regina angle, it has nothing to do with high school football. Loan application paperwork, tax returns etc, are physical evidence. Maybe it takes 2 years to uncover it, maybe it doesn't. Facts: A Solon man was arrested in 2014 9 months after he sent crazy letters to Regina. A month or so later, the man is arrested for forging tax documents on a bank loan on a crime he is alleged to have committed in 2012.

It is probably just a coincidence, but I brought up the questions. If you don't think people or groups are targeted for these type of things, then maybe you should stop drinking and crawl back under your rock.

And after looking up his public records, he has a long laundry list of filings against him from businesses and banks. I am kinda surprised he even qualified for a loan in 2012. With such a list, I would think banks would take a closer look at his application. But the timing of this arrest still looks fishy in a conspiracy type way

This post was edited on 8/11 8:19 AM by rkhemp

This latest incident DOESN'T have anything to do with football. It just further goes to show the kind of person he is. That hardly means it's a conspiracy and he's only getting popped for this because he dared to screw with Regina. I'm not saying things like that never happen, but it's pretty ridiculous for that to be the first conclusion you jump to. Unless you've got a vendetta against Regina, which you've shown yourself to have on more than one occasion.

 

[cidhawkeye]

I am glad we are able to let this fade away.

 

[rkhemp]

I have not come to any conclusions, just curious for all the facts to come out. I actually edited my posts to add the questions. But if you read all of Pine's posts, he has a vendetta against Mr. Stone and I am sure he is not the only Regina member to have one. So it is ok for Pine to liken Mr. Stone as a terrorist, but it is not ok for me to question the timing of the second arrest? OK, gotcha.

I believe private schools should have a multiplier. If you think that is a vendetta against Regina, then so be it. Everybody has the up most respect for Regina and their accomplishments on the field, but there are a large group of us that believe those accomplishments should be had at a higher level, as with the other private schools.

 

[tm3308]

Originally posted by rkhemp:
I have not come to any conclusions, just curious for all the facts to come out. I actually edited my posts to add the questions. But if you read all of Pine's posts, he has a vendetta against Mr. Stone and I am sure he is not the only Regina member to have one. So it is ok for Pine to liken Mr. Stone as a terrorist, but it is not ok for me to question the timing of the second arrest? OK, gotcha.

I believe private schools should have a multiplier. If you think that is a vendetta against Regina, then so be it. Everybody has the up most respect for Regina and their accomplishments on the field, but there are a large group of us that believe those accomplishments should be had at a higher level, as with the other private schools.

Sure, and I think that's coloring your view on this subject. If the school allegedly distributing PED's were City High or CR Wash, I doubt you'd be suggesting that this second arrest had anything to do with the anonymous letters.

 

[Pinehawk]

I don't have a vendetta against Mr. Stone. I made the point that pursuing the case was in fact a good use of resources, because this guy seemed like the type who may commit additional crimes.

And, what do you know? I was right. He did.

This situation feels like something you'd see on 20/20, it's turned out to be quite a story. So, if there are updates, be prepared, I'll probably post those as well.

 

[rkhemp]

Originally posted by tm3308:

Originally posted by rkhemp:
I have not come to any conclusions, just curious for all the facts to come out. I actually edited my posts to add the questions. But if you read all of Pine's posts, he has a vendetta against Mr. Stone and I am sure he is not the only Regina member to have one. So it is ok for Pine to liken Mr. Stone as a terrorist, but it is not ok for me to question the timing of the second arrest? OK, gotcha.

I believe private schools should have a multiplier. If you think that is a vendetta against Regina, then so be it. Everybody has the up most respect for Regina and their accomplishments on the field, but there are a large group of us that believe those accomplishments should be had at a higher level, as with the other private schools.

Sure, and I think that's coloring your view on this subject. If the school allegedly distributing PED's were City High or CR Wash, I doubt you'd be suggesting that this second arrest had anything to do with the anonymous letters.

I guess that goes both ways. Pine wouldn't keep posting it if it happened at CR Wash. Thanks for keeping me posted Pine and I look fwd to all updates

 

[tm3308]

I'm guessing Pine is from Iowa City, and may even have direct ties to Regina. I don't know that for a fact, but I wouldn't be at all surprised. If so, then his posting an update about this is a little different than you making insinuations simply because you don't like private schools.

 

[RoundMound1]

The sad thing is that the media prints this crap to continue to stir the pot in people's minds. I'm sure there are many other people in the Iowa City area who commit similar white collar type crimes, however, I haven't seen them reported to such length. The fact that Mr. Stone has been a recent "local celebrity" has played into this being printed. It really has nothing to do with the Regina situation and I'm not sure why there was a need to post it on this forum other than to fan the flames. That's just my opinion and apparently that of kemp as well.

 

[tm3308]

Originally posted by RoundMound1:
The sad thing is that the media prints this crap to continue to stir the pot in people's minds. I'm sure there are many other people in the Iowa City area who commit similar white collar type crimes, however, I haven't seen them reported to such length. The fact that Mr. Stone has been a recent "local celebrity" has played into this being printed. It really has nothing to do with the Regina situation and I'm not sure why there was a need to post it on this forum other than to fan the flames. That's just my opinion and apparently that of kemp as well.

That's not the point he's been trying to make at all. I agree that this second arrest has been over-reported because of the incident last fall, but saying the media is blowing this out of proportion (which it is) isn't the same as suggesting that this second arrest might have been spurred on by the the anonymous letters in some sort of conspiracy (which is what kemp is doing).

 

[cidhawkeye]

Kemp may have allowed a personal bias to influence his posting.

 

[rkhemp]

Roundmound has me pretty much figured out. I thought the link was pretty TMZish but would you expect from KCJJ. Some of my questions were met to be a little far off. The guy probably doesn't deserve being defended, but he sure doesn't deserve the constant public bashing. Neither crimes were hardly the crimes of the century. But if some Regina fans feel good about themselves by keeping him in the limelight, well then good on ya brother

 

[Pinehawk]

So, the Regina program is falsely accused of steroid use. And, then when the truth comes out, people (rk specifically) rush to defend the alleged criminal in this case.
I guess I don't get it.