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Polk County District Attorney

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Polk County District Attorney

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08/21/2026

SHERIDAN MAN SENTENCED TO 12 ½ YEARS IN PRISON FOR S*XUALLY ABUSING MINORS.

DALLAS (OR) – Today, Polk County Circuit Judge pro tem Timothy R. Park sentenced Frederick Lee Johnston, age 69, to serve 150 months in prison (12.5 years) for his convictions of s*x abuse involving two related minor victims under the age of 14.

Johnston, of Sheridan, plead guilty to two counts of S*x Abuse in the First Degree after participating in a judicial settlement conference conducted by Judge Park. The Court sentenced Johnston to 75 months on each count to be served consecutively, followed by a period of 45 months of Post-Prison Supervision.

Judge Park sentenced Johnston pursuant to Oregon’s Ballot Measure 11 mandatory minimum sentencing requirements, meaning he is not eligible for early release or any other form of sentence reduction program. During the course of the investigation, over 30 weapons were located in Johnston’s possession. All of the weapons were forfeited due to Johnston having a prior felony weapons related conviction.

The case was investigated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Polk County Deputy District Attorney Shannon Clausen

08/17/2026

DISTRICT ATTORNEY FELTON RE-ELECTED TO LEADERSHIP ROLE IN STATEWIDE PROSECUTORS’ ASSOCIATION.

DALLAS (OR) – Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton has been re-elected by his colleagues to serve a fifth term on the Board of Directors of the Oregon District Attorneys Association. Felton won the unanimous support of the other elected district attorneys from Oregon’s 36 counties attending the association’s annual conference in Seaside this past week.

“It is an honor to continue to be chosen by my colleagues for service on the board of the ODAA. I look forward to working on behalf of the organization to further its goals of effective public safety programs for all Oregonians," said Felton.

The Oregon District Attorneys Association (ODAA) is a voluntary association of the 36 elected District Attorneys, their deputy district attorneys, the Oregon Attorney General, Oregon assistant attorneys general, and district attorney office managers. ODAA was founded in 1952.

Aaron Felton has been Polk County’s District Attorney since 2013.

08/13/2026

MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON IN MONMOUTH S*X ABUSE CASE.

DALLAS (OR) – Chance William Grooms, 25, has been sentenced to serve 75 months (6 years, 3 months) in prison for S*x Abuse in the First Degree arising out of a 2025 incident involving a special needs adult under his care.

Grooms, of Stayton was sentenced after pleading guilty to the single charge before Polk County Circuit Judge Monte S. Campbell. Grooms was sentenced according to Oregon’s Measure 11 mandatory sentencing laws. Consequently, he will not be eligible for any form of early release or sentence reduction. He will also be required to serve a 45-month term of Post-Prison Supervision upon his release and register as a s*x offender. Grooms has no prior criminal history.

The case was investigated by the Monmouth and Stayton Police Departments. It was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Shannon Clausen of the Polk County District Attorney’s Office.

08/12/2026

DALLAS MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON IN 2024 R**E CASE.

DALLAS (OR) – Jacob Allen Tunget, 28, was sentenced today to serve 100 months (8.3 years) in prison for R**e in the First Degree arising out of a 2024 incident which occurred behind the Safeway supermarket in Dallas.

Tunget, a Dallas area transient, was sentenced today after pleading no contest to the single charge before Polk County Circuit Judge Rafael A. Caso. Tunget was sentenced according to Oregon’s Measure 11 mandatory sentencing laws. Consequently, he will not be eligible for any form of early release or sentence reduction. He will also be required to serve a 140 month term of Post-Prison Supervision upon his release and register as a s*x offender.

Tunget’s ultimate apprehension and prosecution was based on evidence developed through DNA samples obtained from the victim during the investigation. That DNA was linked to a positive match with a sample of the defendant’s DNA that was located in the FBI’s nationwide CODIS DNA bank of convicted felons.

The case was investigated by the Dallas Police Department and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Shannon Clausen of the Polk County District Attorney’s Office.

07/27/2026

MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON IN WEST SALEM FRAUDULENT CHECK SCHEME.

DALLAS (OR) – Jared Wesley Garlock, 42, has been sentenced to serve 45 months (3 years, 9 months) in prison after pleading guilty in Polk County Circuit Court to forgery and theft charges related to several fraudulent checks, he attempted to deposit at the Oregon State Federal Credit Union in West Salem. In one case, Salem Police apprehended Garlock as he drove away from the credit union after an employee alerted them to Garlock in the act of attempting to deposit another forged check.

Garlock, of Salem, appeared before Circuit Judge Monte S. Campbell and pled guilty to two counts of Forgery in the First degree and one count of Theft in the First Degree. He will also be required to serve 12 months of Post Prison Supervision upon his release from custody. Garlock has an extensive criminal history throughout Oregon dating back over the last 20 years.

The case was investigated by the Salem Police Department. It was prosecuted by Polk County Deputy District Attorney Garrett Lewellen.

07/24/2026

FORMER CORRECTIONS OFFICER SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDER.

DALLAS (OR) – Today, Polk County Circuit Judge Rafael A. Caso sentenced Alonzo Rowell, age 52, to life in prison for the 2024 murder of his brother. Rowell, of Dallas, will be required to serve a minimum of 25 years in prison before he is eligible to be considered for parole.

In addition to Murder in the Second Degree, Rowell, had been found guilty after a jury trial on June 26, 2026 of Assault in the First Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Reckless Endangering Another Person. Judge Caso sentenced Rowell to serve concurrent sentences on each of those charges.

Rowell fatally shot his brother, Tony Miller, 54, at Miller’s Dallas residence on November 9, 2024, before driving to Rowell’s former workplace, the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. There, Rowell engaged in a short standoff with the Salem Police and other law enforcement agencies before being taken into custody.

The case was prosecuted by District Attorney Aaron Felton, Chief Deputy District Attorney Matthew Wilson, and Deputy District Attorney Kaylee Hudson. The case was investigated by the Dallas Police Department, Salem Police Department, Oregon State Police, and Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

07/21/2026

PHILIP JAMES MANCUSO SENTENCED TO 50 YEARS IN PRISON FOR S*XUALLY ABUSING MINOR.

DALLAS (OR) – Today, Polk County Circuit Judge Rafael A. Caso sentenced Philip James Mancuso, age 37, to serve 600 months in prison (50 years) for his convictions of s*x abuse, so**my, and in**st involving a minor victim under the age of 12.

On July 13, 2026, after a trial to the court, Judge Caso found Mancuso, of Dallas, guilty of four counts of So**my in the First Degree, two counts of S*x Abuse in the First Degree, and one count of In**st. Mancuso was sentenced to serve 300 months on each of the so**my charges, (2 counts consecutive), 75 months on each of the s*x abuse charges (concurrent), and 30 months on the in**st charge (concurrent). He will also be required to serve a lifetime period of Post-Prison Supervision upon his release and to register as a S*x Offender.

Judge Caso sentenced Mancuso pursuant to Oregon’s Ballot Measure 11 and Jessica’s Law mandatory minimum sentencing requirements, meaning Mancuso is not eligible for early release or any other form of sentence reduction program.

The case was investigated by the Dallas Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Salem Police Department, and the Fairfield County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Office. Assistance was also provided through the Oregon Department of Human Services (Child Welfare Division) and the Governor’s Office of Extraditions. The case was presented by Polk County Deputy District Attorney Shannon Clausen

07/16/2026

MAN SENTENCED TO 99 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR S*X ABUSE AND WEAPONS CHARGES INVOLVING MINOR VICTIMS IN JOINT POLK AND LANE COUNTY PROSECUTIONS.

DALLAS (OR) – Jesse Michael Shelton, 45, has been sentenced to serve 99 months (8 years, 3 months) in prison for convictions arising out of related incidents in Polk and Lane Counties. Shelton, of Mapleton, was arrested in April of 2025 by Dallas police officers on suspicion of impaired driving. During the investigation, police located two teenage females unrelated to Shelton who showed signs of ma*****na and alcohol consumption in the backseat of Shelton’s car. A further search of the vehicle discovered a loaded firearm belonging to Shelton with multiple rounds of extra ammunition as well as assorted liquor and drug paraphernalia.

Based on information gathered from the minor victims, a subsequent criminal investigation was begun in Lane County (Shelton and the victim’s county of residence) by detectives from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office and prosecutors from the Lane County District Attorney’s Office.

On May 29, 2026, Shelton appeared in Lane County Circuit Court and plead guilty to two counts of S*x Abuse in the Second Degree, two counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, two counts of Strangulation and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. He was sentenced to 70 months (5 years and 10 months) in prison.

On July 6, 2026, Shelton appeared before Polk County Circuit Judge Monte Campbell and plead guilty to Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Reckless Driving, two counts of Reckless Endangering, and two counts of Furnishing Alcohol to a Person Under 21. Judge Campbell sentenced Shelton to serve 29 months in prison to run consecutive to the sentence imposed in his Lane County case for total of 99 months. Judge Campbell also ordered Shelton to serve a 24-month period of Post-Prison Supervision upon his release from incarceration.

This case represented a collaborative effort between law enforcement and prosecution agencies in Polk and Lane Counties. It was investigated by the Polk and Lane County Sheriff’s Departments as well as the Dallas Police Department. The cases were presented to the Court by Polk County Deputy District Attorney Kaylee Hudson and Lane County Deputy District Attorney Erik Knapp. Each of the involved agencies commend the courage and resilience of the victims throughout the case.

07/14/2026

DALLAS MAN GUILTY OF S*X ABUSE, SO**MY, AND IN**ST IN CASE INVOLVING MINOR VICTIM.

DALLAS (OR) – On July 13, 2026, a Polk County Circuit Judge found Philip James Mancuso, age 37, guilty on all charges related to his years-long s*x abuse, so**my, and in**st of a minor victim under the age of 12.

Judge Rafael A. Caso found Mancuso, of Dallas, guilty after a multi-day trial of four counts of So**my in the First Degree, two counts of S*x Abuse in the First Degree, and one count of In**st. Polk County Deputy District Attorney Shannon Clausen presented the case to the Court.

Investigation and prosecution of this matter began in 2024 based on an initial report to DHS Child Welfare authorities. Ultimately, Mancuso was located in the state of Ohio after the issuance of a Grand Jury warrant and returned to Oregon by Polk County Sheriff’s deputies to stand trial.

The Polk County District Attorney’s Office commends the victim and her family for their strength and courage throughout this process. We also recognize the thorough investigations of the Dallas Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Salem Police Department, and the Fairfield County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, we deeply appreciate the assistance of the Oregon Department of Human Services (Child Welfare Division) and the Governor’s Office of Extraditions.

A sentencing hearing has been set for July 21.

07/13/2026

INDEPENDENCE MAN SENTENCED TO OVER TWO YEARS IN PRISON FOR ROBBERY.

DALLAS (OR) – Abraham Vela, of Independence, has been sentenced to serve 30 months (2.5 years) in prison for a January, 2026 incident in which he knocked down, punched, and scuffled with his victim before attempting to steal the victim’s cell phone. The victim was able to subdue Vela and restrain him while witnesses contacted police. According to the investigation, the victim was not known to Vela and the attack was random in nature.

Vela, 41, appeared before Polk County Circuit Judge Rafael A. Caso and pled guilty to Robbery in the Third Degree. Judge Caso also ordered Vela to serve a 24-month term of Post-Prison Supervision upon his release with a recommendation for mental health and substance abuse treatment. Judge Caso imposed the maximum sentence allowed under Oregon’s Repeat Property Offender statute in light of Vela’s extensive criminal history.

The case was investigated by the Independence and Monmouth Police Departments and prosecuted by Polk County Chief Deputy District Attorney Matthew T. Wilson

Address

850 Main Street
Dallas, OR
97338

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm
Saturday	8am - 5pm
Sunday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15036239268

Website

https://www.polkcountyor.gov/221/Polk-County-District-Attorneys-Office

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