'Devils Professor' suspects due in court
A San Bernardino man is expected to be arraigned today on charges alleging that he supplied methamphetamine to CSUSB associate professor Steve Kinzey for distribution in a drug trafficking ring.
Jeremy Disney, whose scheduled appearance Thursday in San Bernardino Superior Court was put over to today, faces two felony charges for his part in the so-called "Devils Professor" case, according to court personnel.
Prosecutors allege Disney, 31, also has four prior convictions in Superior Court, court records show.
Disney's new court date coincides with scheduled appearances by Kinzey and other co-defendants Holly Robinson, Edward Freer, Hans Preszler and Christopher Rikerd.
Authorities began investigating the group earlier this year during a federal undercover operation involving outlaw biker clubs in the county.
Kinzey is president of the San Bernardino Mountains Chapter of the Devils Diciples motorcycle club, a group founded in Fontana in 1967, according to sheriff's deputies.
Detectives allege Kinzey, of Highland, purchased large amounts of meth from Disney and then distributed ounce quantities to other defendants who split it up into smaller amounts for mid-level and street-level dealers, said sheriff's Detective Jason Rosenbaum.
Authorities raided Kinzey's East Highlands Ranch home on Aug. 26 and intercepted a pound of meth that was being delivered.
Five defendants in the case have since pleaded guilty, as part of plea bargains to one felony count of conspiracy.
Most recently, Eric Cortez, 31, of Redlands pleaded guilty Wednesday, and he was sentenced to 180 days in county jail and three years of supervised probation, court records show. He returns to court Nov. 18 for a probation review hearing.
Wendi Lee Witherell is set to be sentenced Monday, and Stephanie Padilla and Elaine Flores both return to court Tuesday for sentencing.
Court records show Witherell, 34, of Mentone arrived to court late Wednesday and was returned to custody. She pleaded guilty Sept. 27.
Flores, 35, and Padilla, 33, both of Redlands, pleaded guilty on Oct. 3.
Chelsea Johnson, 34, of Redlands pleaded guilty Oct. 19 and she was sentenced to 220 days in county jail and three years of supervised probation. She returns to court Nov. 16 for a probation review hearing.
Reach Mike via email at mike.cruz@inlandnewspapers.com or find him on Twitter @sbcourts.
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i thinks dat eynrvoee should shoots each other before getting married but not in the skull cause that hurts. how stupid can u get, come on , calling the police just because u shot your girlfriend before being wedded, whats wrong with this society.maybe they should write a book like O.J simpson.p.s. why doesnt anyone shoot me
This warts-and-all concert film ctreupas the bittersweet, drunken conclusion to the Murder City Devil's brief and influential career.On Halloween, 2001 the Devils played their last show, only weeks after the announcement of their break-up and mere months after the release of Thelema, their darkest, most powerful, and indecently shortest album. Like everything else the band did in their 4 years together, the show was an explosion of gigantic noise, gut-tearing longing, and alcohol fueled desperation. The knowledge that these songs would never again be played added to the intensity performance. The band is clearly drunk. The crowd is clearly drunk. Andrea Zollo is clearly drunk. It may be that the people holding the camera are drunk as well. Notes are missed, stage banter transforms in to slurred rants, and everyone seems to be either disproportionately happy or disproportionately sad.There is nothing that seems staged for this film. This is further away from Stop Making Sense than any other movie of its kind. This was never meant to capture the band at their very best. There is no theme or message to underscore the film. There is no obvious intent to editing choices. The film feels as organic and real as the concert did all those years ago and, as such, is an enjoyable and vital document of a time and place that is no more.