Local News

A licensed real estate broker pleaded guilty Monday after avoiding reporting requirements and drafting fake property leases when her client’s illegal marijuana grow was raided.

In a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Tyra Foxx, 46, pleaded guilty to and was charged on February 23rd with avoiding reporting requirements and obstruction of justice. She will be sentenced May 11th.

According to court documents, from January 2020 through November 2020, Foxx was a real estate broker for Jose Orozco and assisted with his purchase of agricultural properties to grow hemp and marijuana.

When Orozco purchased these properties, Foxx made large cash payments to the property owners outside of escrow, and knowing RE/MAX did not accept cash payments, converted $100,000 into money orders and used a third-party broker’s trust account to transfer over $2 million dollars into escrow accounts.

On October 13, 2020, Foxx received $175,000 from Orozco to purchase agricultural property in Josephine County, Oregon. Foxx did not file a Form 8300 upon receipt of the funds as required, but instead, transferred the money to a client trust account at another real estate office.

This caused a Currency Transaction Report to be filed in that real estate office’s name rather than Orozco’s name. After learning that law enforcement had raided one of Orozco’s illegal marijuana grows, Foxx drafted fake property leases for Orozco and suggested he place phony construction liens to be levied on the property to prevent it being forfeited by the IRS and Homeland Security.

In total, Foxx faces 30 years in prison, a $750,000 fine, and six years of supervised release. Orozco previously pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced April 6th.

 

The new Josephine County Board of Commissioners held their first official workshop in the BCC Conference Room. The board commenced by appointing Commissioner Ron Smith as Chair of the Board, and Colene Martin as the Vice Chair. Next on the agenda was a presentation of Animal Control and the Animal Shelter regarding a measure potentially moving to the May 19th ballot. Services have been reduced due to lack of funding, and the Levy Proposal would provide 16 cents per $1000 assessed property value; about $3.20 a month. The board will vote on if the measure goes to the May Election at their Weekly Business Session. The board approved the upcoming Finance and Budget Calendar, then moved to support Community Justice's travel request for training and NatCon 2026 in Colorado. A previous amendment to a Treatment Court Foundation Agreement was corrected and approved, and the board moved in favor of two intergovernmental agreements for the Oregon Health Authority Agreement and Tort Liability Coverage, both covered via pass through dollars.

 

The Medford Police Thursday arrested and lodged former CEO the Builder’s Association of Southern Oregon, Bradly Bennington and lodged him in the Jackson County Jail. In October of 2025, The Association contacted the Medford Police Department regarding a potential employee theft. Representatives reported Bennington was believed to have embezzled a significant sum of money from the organization over a period of years. MPD detectives were provided the findings of a financial forensic audit conducted on behalf of the Builder’s Association. Detectives reviewed the audit and conducted an independent investigation, which included serving numerous subpoenas at multiple banking institutions.Through the course of the investigation, detectives determined that approximately $100,000 had been embezzled. Based on the evidence gathered, detectives determined that criminal activity had occurred. The case was subsequently briefed with the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.

 

A 35-year-old man was arrested and jailed by Josephine County Sheriff’s Deputies investigating a restraining order violation Wednesday night at 11:26. The reporting party notified authorities of the alleged violation in the 9,000 block of Takilma Road. Deputies, aware the suspect was flagged as being hostile to law enforcement, opted for a two-officer contact and arrested Brady Chilson and transported the suspect to the county jail. Chilson was lodged on contempt of court charges stemming from the restraining order violation. The Sheriff’s narrative outlined active warrants out of Vermont on a history of drug sales and use. The warrants were such that the Deputies would not pick up on those out of state warrants. Chilson remained in custody Thursday morning.

 

Josephine County Sheriff’s deputies detained one man after having determined probable cause for theft II. Just after 3:00 Wednesday afternoon the Deputy took 40-year-old Anthony Pope into custody. Pope’s parole officer was contacted while the Deputy was in route to the Josephine County Jail. The P.O. placed a detainer on Pope as well and he remained in custody Thursday morning. Pope has a long history of incarcerations in the county jail, this being the 3rd time in the last year where he has faced a myriad of charges including 2nd degree kidnapping, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and strangulation although most of those charges were dismissed.

 

An officer with the Grants Pass Police Department arrested a man following a bicycle stop Wednesday afternoon.

Around 2:58 p.m. the suspect, Kevin Reeves, was detained after being stopped by law enforcement at the corner of NE 7th Street and NE Jackson Street. He was seen riding his bike on the wrong side of the road and had nearly hit the officer's patrol vehicle.

Reeves was found to be wanted by his parole officer, so he was taken into custody. The officer transported Reeves to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged for a probation violation. A lack of jail resources was the impetus for his later release.

 

A call came in to 911 Wednesday reporting a transient yelling and destroying property at Lawnridge Park.

At 9:03 a.m., the caller said the suspect was acting aggressively, kicking signs and attempting to destroy the gates to the pickleball courts at the 1099 NW Hawthorne Avenue park. The caller told dispatch she could see items all over the ground, and that there were children in the area waiting for the bus.

Grants Pass Police arrived and took the suspect, Charles Howard into custody. He was arrested for a parole violation and found to be in possession of methamphetamine.

Officers transported and lodged Howard in the Josephine County Jail for the violation and the drug charge. Because of a lack of jail resources, he was later released.

 

A man with a felony warrant was arrested by Grants Pass Police after a foot pursuit downtown.

On Wednesday around 2:24 p.m., the suspect, Aleksandr Uchytil, was heading westbound on A Street before going northbound on 5th Street. Law enforcement called the nearby Presbyterian Church to see if he ran inside the building.

Church staff and officers checked and cleared the north side and the playground, before they found Uchytil on the south side of the building heading towards 6th Street. Officers soon tracked him down behind Rogue Barbers and held him at gunpoint.

Uchytil was wanted by the Grants Pass Police Department for a First Degree Theft warrant. He was taken into custody, and also trespassed from The Kitchen Company.

Officers transported and lodged Uchytil in the Josephine County Jail for his active felony warrant, but was later released due to a lack of resources.

 

Grants Pass Police officers arrested suspects in both Resting Site 6 North and South Wednesday.

At the South Site, 704 NW 6th Street, officers detained Andrew Urenda at 9:52 a.m. after he was found in a tent on the north side. He was known to have two valid warrants out for his arrest from the Police Department.

Officers took him into custody for both of his Meth Possession warrants and a Probation Violation. Urenda was trespassed from the site for 30 days, and transported to the Josephine County Jail. He was lodged, but later released due to a lack of jail resources.

Then at the North Site, 714 NW 6th Street, Caleb Rossiter was located by law enforcement, where he was found to be in violation of a park exclusion order. He was then taken into custody at 10:51 a.m. for a charge of Second Degree Criminal Trespass.

He was also found to have what was suspected to be Methamphetamine in his pocket, so a charge of Meth Possession was added to Rossiter. He was taken to the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility and subsequently lodged. A 90 day exclusion from the site was issued to Rossiter.