Wyoming DMV closed over safety concerns

By JOHN A. BALLENTINE
For The Weekly Post

WYOMING – The Wyoming Drivers and Motor Vehicles Facility at 107 E. Williams St. has been permanently closed due to concerns over criminal activity nearby.

State officials are working with the City of Wyoming to find a possible spot to relocate the facility, which closed abruptly on March 27. According to State Rep. Travis Weaver, use of a mobile unit is also a possibility.
“The government-affairs liaison for the Secretary of State said (the closure) was due to criminal activity,” Weaver said. “The liaison also said that the Secretary of State can’t have this activity near the DMV and the facility is permanently closed at this location.

“Unfortunately, there has been ongoing criminal activity in the building where the DMV in Wyoming currently operates. Another tenant in the building has been charged with criminal activity, which is entirely unrelated to the Secretary of State’s operations.”

Weaver said the decision to close was made on March 27 after Caleb A. Deck , 47, was arrested in front of the DMV building. Deck has been renting an apartment above the state office. He was also arrested there last Oct. 15 when the Stark County Sheriff’s Office found drugs, stolen items and a homemade explosive device in the apartment.

Keith Ratcliff is the owner of the building at 107 E. Williams St., whose first floor is now vacant. In addition to the DMV, the building previously housed a hair salon that relocated to Toulon months ago. Ratcliff indicated the apartment may soon be vacant.

“I’m working on it with an attorney and the sheriff’s office. We have to get people out of there,” Ratcliff said. “The DMV is unhappy with me. They haven’t paid the rent for a while and they aren’t answering my phone calls.”

Ratcliff said the DMV hasn’t paid rent since the police search of the apartment last October.
Ratcliff said he’s unhappy and discouraged with the situation, adding, “I can’t fault the DMV about the safety issue.”

Ratcliff said last week’s events caught him off guard.

According to Stark County Circuit Court testimony by Wyoming Police Chief Jim Tiller, three DMV employees had filed numerous complaints about witnessing alleged criminal activity by occupants of the apartment.
Deck was arrested for intimidation of a public official, a Class 3 felony charge that could be punishable by 2-5 years in prsion. Tiller said in court that Deck and another man went to a Wyoming DMV employee’s house about a quarter-mile from downtown on March 22, allegedly looking for a lost cat.

The employee said she became fearful after Deck allegedly intimidated her. She called the police after informing two other DMV employees, who also became fearful. Secretary of State Police were assigned to protect the DMV from March 24-27.

After Deck’s arrest, the decision was made to close the facility.

Deck was transported on March 28 from the Bureau County Jail to Toulon’s Stark County Circuit Court for a hearing in front of Judge James A. Mack.

Deck was read two new charges filed against him: domestic battery on March 3 and the March 22 charge of intimidation.

And Stark County State’s Attorney Austin King petitioned the court to revoke Deck’s pretrial release.
“He’s a threat to the community and the incidents are escalating and are more violent,” King said.
On Jan. 31, Mack had ruled that Deck no longer had to wear an ankle monitor, stemming from his October charges. Deck also had a curfew lifted on Dec. 20.

But Mack changed his mind on March 28. After a long pause to consider King’s request, Mack revoked Deck’s release and said he will remain incarcerated until his trial.

Deck’s arraignment on the two new charges is scheduled for Friday, April 4, along with a review and scheduling for his other cases. His trial date may be determined that day.

According to court documents, Deck committed domestic battery on March 3, a Class A misdemeanor. He also faces felony charges of burglary, theft and assault of a peace officer, two felony counts of being a felon in possession of ammunition, and multiple traffic violations.