Kan. Man Sentenced to Prison for False 9-1-1 Calls

Dec. 15--A man who used a variety of false names to make 26 calls to 911 in less than 24 hours, causing emergency responders to make unnecessary trips to Salina's Motel 6, was sentenced Monday to a year and four months in prison.

David M. Slover, 42, who also had threatened to burn down the motel, pleaded guilty in September to one felony count of criminal threat and three misdemeanor counts of interference with law enforcement by falsely reporting information.

In a separate case, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of criminal damage to property for breaking an oximeter that belonged to Salina Regional Health Center. An oximeter measures oxygen levels in the blood. Other charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement.

Attorney Crystal French, who represented Slover, said her client preferred prison time to probation. When Saline County District Judge Rene Young asked Slover if he wanted to make a statement to the court before being sentenced, he said, "I just want to get it over with and do my time, whatever I get."

Young said Slover's felony convictions included false imprisonment in Florida; attempted failure to verify (similar to failure to register as an offender) in Ohio; and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer in Virginia.

She said the state of Michigan has a pending warrant for Slover that will most likely result in his extradition to that state after his Kansas sentence has been served. She said the Michigan warrant, which was issued in December 2013, was for theft, aggravated stalking and other charges.

Young ordered Slover to pay $351 in court costs, $100 in restitution to the hospital, a $200 DNA testing fee, a $100 administrative fee and $200 for the services of his attorney.

Officers sent to Motel 6

According to an affidavit written by law enforcement at the time of Slover's arrest, emergency dispatchers fielded numerous calls late Aug. 3 and early Aug. 4 from Slover. Slover reported various emergencies, all of which turned out to be false, allegedly occurring in Room 118 of Motel 6, where Slover later told a dispatcher his ex-wife and her new boyfriend were staying. Calls included:

• At 10:03 p.m. Aug. 3, "Randy" called to say a 23-year-old woman was unconscious from a drug overdose in the room.
• At 1:42 a.m. Aug. 4, "Mark Broney" reported screaming from the room and a woman standing outside in her underwear.
• At 2:39 a.m., "Bill" said he heard gunshots possibly originating from the room.
• At 5:09 a.m., "Cain Jackson" reported that his pickup truck caught fire on the way to the KOA campground.
• At 5:57 a.m., an unknown caller reported a vehicle fire on the north side of Motel 6.
• At 6:04 a.m., "David Fry" called to say he wanted to turn himself in for all the phone calls he'd been making. He said he would be in Room 118.
• At 7:33 a.m., "Bill Forsky" reported screaming in the room.

Threatens to burn motel

In addition, at about 10 a.m., Slover called Motel 6 under the name "Vernon Richard Roof." He threatened to burn down the motel unless his wallet and money were returned to him from Room 118.

According to the affidavit, when he called the motel a second time, he spoke to a police officer who was taking a report about his first call. The officer told him he could come to the motel and get his wallet, which had been turned in to the motel office, but Slover told the officer he would burn down the motel if he returned.

Dispatchers were able to determine the cellphone two of the calls were made from was located at Bosselman Travel Center, and an officer found Slover, a semitrailer driver, inside the truck stop attempting to hide. Slover had three cellphones with him. Data on the phones showed they had been used to make 26 calls to 911, according to the affidavit.

At the conclusion of his sentencing hearing, Young told Slover he was remanded to the Kansas Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.

-- Reporter Erin Mathews can be reached at 822-1415 or by email at emathews@salina.com.

Copyright 2015 - The Salina Journal, Kan.