Gavel 2

A Seneca man arrested in a 2023 sting operation in Jackson County pleaded guilty to child sex abuse crimes in U.S. District Court on Monday.

Meanwhile, three other men facing unrelated charges locally faced U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark D. Clarke for various hearings at the James A. Redden Courthouse in Medford.

Reuben Phillip Harvey

Harvey, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement during a change of plea hearing.

Harvey had originally pleaded not guilty to the charge, which came after the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office dismissed its case.

A jury trial had been scheduled for June 18 at the Medford courthouse, according to court records.

Harvey is accused of using an internet-connected device on March 14, 2023, to encourage a minor to engage in sexual activity, according to a U.S. grand jury indictment filed on Aug. 3, 2023. 

A presentence report will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office before Harvey is sentenced Sept. 5 before Judge Michael J. McShane.

Harvey could face life imprisonment, a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, according to the plea petition he signed.

Luke Austin Montgomery

Montgomery, 25, of Phoenix, Arizona, was granted a continuance on his case by Clarke, who reset his jury trial dates.

Montgomery has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted distribution of fentanyl for allegedly mailing large quantities of the drug to Southern Oregon in January 2023, according to court filings and a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon.

Once law enforcement learned of Montgomery’s alleged crimes, investigators arranged the purchase of 1,000 counterfeit pills, which Montgomery allegedly fulfilled before allegedly shipping an additional 10,000 pills to a second Southern Oregon address, according to the release. Montgomery allegedly created videos and used them to sell the counterfeit pills on social media, the release said. 

He is scheduled to face a jury on July 30 before McShane.

Montgomery’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 8. 

Elijah Leonardo Cintron

Cintron, 34, of Talent, was ordered to be jailed because he violated a condition of release and was deemed unlikely to follow conditions in the future, Clarke ruled in an order Monday.

Cintron is scheduled to appear in court June 24 for a detention hearing.

He has pleaded not guilty to one count of possessing child pornography. The charge came following a search warrant from federal investigators, who found Cintron allegedly uploaded child sexual abuse material on multiple websites in January and October 2023.

A status conference for Cintron is reset for July 1 before Clarke.

Cintron’s jury trial was reset for July 23.

Michael Edward Jason 

Jason, 54, who was previously lodged in the Jackson County Jail after prosecutors recommended it, will remain in custody for now while Clarke considers releasing him pending trial.

Jason has pleaded not guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The charge stems from allegations that he possessed five different weapons, including a machine gun and a rifle, that came from other states, according to an indictment.

Jason was banned from possessing firearms following his convictions on charges of attempted aggravated murder in 2004, third-degree assault in 2000 and possession of a controlled substance in 1989, the indictment said. 

Jason’s co-defendants include Jonathan Anthony Kinsella, Michelle Tawny Kinsella and Curtis Lee Hollins, who have also pleaded not guilty to the same charge. 

Meanwhile, Jason has pleaded not guilty to charges in Jackson County Circuit Court, including six counts of first-degree theft and one count each of aggravated first-degree theft, possession of a prohibited firearms silencer, second-degree burglary, felon in possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of methamphetamine. His co-defendants are the Kinsellas, who have also pleaded not guilty.

The case stems from an Aug. 22, 2023, incident when a 93-year-old man reported a burglary of his detached garage, where approximately $300,000 worth of cash, gold coins and guns from a safe inside the garage were kept, according to a probable cause affidavit from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

Jason allegedly denied his involvement in the burglary in initial conversations with investigators, the affidavit said. But, later on, he allegedly admitted that Michelle Kinsella allegedly drove him to the man’s home and Jason split the profits with the Kinsellas.

Jason is scheduled to face a federal jury at the Medford courthouse Nov. 12.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 21.