WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Dec. 20, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Three men and a woman are facing multiple felony charges after police say they were involved in trying to cash a fraudulent check and then used their vehicle to ram two patrol cars when officers arrived on scene.
Arrested Sunday were Derek Mikel Adams, 31; Brandon Michael Wyatt, 40; Trevor Jeffrey Simmons, 42; and Andrea Goodman, 34.
According to probable cause affidavits filed in 3rd District Court in Salt Lake County, suspect Derek Adams tried to cash a fraudulently obtained check at Check City, 3514 W. 3500 South, at about 11 a.m. Sunday. People behind the counter recognized the check as fraudulent and notified police while delaying Adams from leaving.
Witnesses said that before Adams came into Check City, he went over to a blue vehicle and was given the check by the driver.
“Upon arrival by West Valley Police, two cars were identified to be involved in the passing of the fraudulent check and were approached by Police,” the affidavit for Adams says. “The blue car proceeded to ram several police units and running from incoming police units. A/P (arrested person) was left at the scene inside a white vehicle, blocked in by one marked police unit that was rammed by the fleeing blue car.”
Adams stayed in the white vehicle and was subsequently arrested.
Adams is listed as a parolee, and he had others’ financial transaction cards, which were found during a search of the vehicle he was in, the charging document states. A pipe was found his pocket, along with part of an electronic smoking device with what Adams allegedly said was marijuana. The search also turned up a driver license that didn’t belong to anyone in the vehicle.
Adams has been charged previously with possession of unlawful transaction cards, as well as having been arrested for several other burglaries, the reporting officer stated.
Adams told police he had earned the check for work he had done and said he was unaware it was fraudulent. The reporting officer stated that “a witnesses and victim of the fraudulent check, arrived on scene and apprised me that A/P was a suspect in a case involving a burglary at his residence in South Jordan.”
Adams is facing charges of unlawful acquisition/possession of a financial card, a third-degree felony; issuing a bad check, a class A misdemeanor; and use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor.
Brandon Wyatt is charged with failure to stop at the command of law enforcement, and obstruction of justice, both class A misdemeanors; and use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Wyatt was a passenger in the vehicle that rammed the police cars.
A pursuit ensued and, during the pursuit, Wyatt threw a police scanner out the window, which “was most likely used to listen to police traffic while the crime was committed,” the affidavit says.
The pursuit ended at 1420 S. 600 East in Salt Lake City, and Wyatt ran and hid in nearby yards, where he was found and taken into custody.
Wyatt was wanted on a “Board of Pardon warrant for dangerous drugs and a felony-three warrant for possession of dangerous drugs,” the affidavit says. The inside of the vehicle was “littered with tin foil with residue and many other paraphernalia related items.”
Wyatt has an extensive history that includes charges for aggravated assaults, the document states.
Trevor Simmons is charged with two counts of assault against a peace officer/military with weapon or force, second-degree felonies; failure to respond to officers signal to stop, a third-degree felony; failure to stop at command of a law enforcement officer, a class A misdemeanor; use or possession of drug paraphernalia, and reckless driving, both class B misdemeanors.
Simmons was the driver of the vehicle that rammed the patrol cars and fled the scene, according to the charging document. He “failed to yield as he drove through oncoming traffic and through multiple stop lights, stops signs, and failed to maintain proper lanes.”
When the pursuit terminated in Salt Lake City, Simmons ran and was found hiding in a shed.
Simmons “is a wanted person on the national database as a fugitive from justice, and is on parole.” He has a lengthy history of the same behavior, the document states.
Andrea Goodman is charged with failure to stop at command of a law enforcement officer, a class A misdemeanor; and use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor.
According to the affidavit for Goodman, she was a passenger in the vehicle that rammed the patrol cars and fled. When the pursuit ended, she ran and hid from officers, was located and taken into custody.
Goodman “possessed an active felony 2 warrant for robbery, felony 3 possession or use of a controlled substance, class A misdemeanor giving false information to police, and class A misdemeanor unauthorized control of a vehicle.”
According to the affidavit, Goodman “was Mirandized and admitted to be under the influence of heroin.” She told the reporting officer that “she ran because she did not want to go back to jail and was with other fugitives from justice.”
All four suspects were booked into Salt Lake County Jail on no-bail holds.
