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• Former UW-RF student sentenced to eight years prison
• Man gets 18 months prison for marriage scam

By Jason Schulte, RiverTowns staff

A former UW-River Falls student was sentenced to eight years prison Wednesday in Pierce County Circuit Court.

Andres Moreno-Richey, 22, received terms of five and three years for third degree sexual assault and burglary, respectively. Pierce County Circuit Court Judge Robert Wing ordered those terms to be consecutive. Wing also ordered Moreno-Richey to be on extended supervision for nine years after he is released.

Wing stated that, with no explanation given for what he did, Moreno-Richey is a "great likelihood to reoffend" and the need to protect the public is high.

Moreno-Richey was charged with third degree sexual assault relating to an incident in August 2008. The burglary charge resulted from an incident last January. He was also sentenced to nine months jail for fourth degree sexual assault. That term will run concurrent to his prison sentence.

For more please read the Oct. 7 print version of the Pierce County Herald.

A Minnesota man who agreed to marry a Diamond Bluff woman, then took off with her credit card and other items, was sentenced to 18 months prison Monday in Pierce County Circuit Court.

Raymond E. Jackson, 41, pled guilty to felony theft and misdemeanor fraudulent use of a credit card in July. Pierce County Circuit Court Judge Robert Wing also sentenced Jackson to two years extended supervision upon release.

According to information from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, Jackson met the Diamond Bluff woman at Prescott Daze in September 2008.

He moved into her home a couple days before Thanksgiving. The two set a December wedding date in Las Vegas.

About a week before the date, Jackson told the woman he had a business meeting in Grand Forks, N.D., and left.

Instead, Jackson allegedly used the woman's credit card to buy a one-way ticket to Maui. That same day, the woman discovered the charge on her credit card and contacted Frontier Airlines, which informed her of the one-way ticket. She then contacted the sheriff's department.

Besides the credit card, Jackson also allegedly took the woman's laptop computer, cell phone, pearl necklace and other items totaling approximately $7,600. He also took the woman's diamond engagement ring.

Jackson was given credit for 270 days served in jail.