By James Beaty
Senior Editor
McALESTER —
The McAlester Buffaloes’ head boys basketball coach and his wife, who is a teacher at Parker Intermediate Center, have been arrested and booked into the Pittsburg County Jail on felony charges.
Jerry McCormick, 44, who is also vice principal at McAlester High School, and his wife, Michelle McCormick, 42, who is a sixth grade teacher at Parker, were both booked into the jail following their arrests on Tuesday afternoon.
Michelle McCormick is charged with felony counts of “stalking in violation of probation condition/protective order” and a second count of “stalking in violation of probation condition,” and a misdemeanor count of “false reporting of a crime,” according to district court records.
Jerry McCormick is charged with a felony count of intimidating a witness and a misdemeanor count of false reporting of a crime, court records state.
The stalking charges are in connection with alleged incidents involving two McAlester families: Brent and Brenda Lopresto, and Daniel and Ami Talbot, said Assistant McAlester Police Chief Darrell Miller.
Daniel Talbot is a McAlester police patrolman.
The McCormicks were released on $10,000 bond each shortly after they were arrested separately by McAlester police detectives and patrolmen and booked into the Pittsburg County Jail.
Neither of the two was placed in a jail cell following their arrests, according to law enforcement officers.
“They were booked in and bonded straight out,” said Pittsburg County Undersheriff Richard Bedford.
Neither of the McCormicks was arrested in front of their students, according to police.
Police arrested Jerry McCormick after he was summoned from inside Bob Brumley Gymnasium, according to Assistant Police Chief Miller.
Police arrested Michelle McCormick in an office at Parker, Miller said.
He said police made an effort not to arrest either of the two in front of their students.
Charges against the McCormicks were filed Tuesday by Assistant District Attorney Lisa Birdwell in a joint information document.
Count 1 alleges that between Feb. 13 and June 10, 2010, Michelle McCormick allegedly committed stalking by willfully, maliciously and repeatedly stalking and harassing Dan Talbot and his wife, Ami Talbot as well as the Talbots’ minor daughter and son.
The felony charge alleges that the Talbots were harassed by Michelle McCormick in several ways, including:
• Following Ami Talbot on the highway and tailgating her on Feb. 13.
• By taking pictures of the Talbots’ daughter, who is a student at McAlester Public Schools, at a school dance on March 11, 2010.
• By intentionally coming to where Ami Talbot was standing and by dancing in front of Ami Talbot after Ami Talbot had moved to the other side of the room to avoid Michelle McCormick.
• By filing a formal citizen complaint against Dan Talbot with the McAlester Police Department and “Making false allegations of harassment against Dan Talbot,” the charges allege.
Count 2, which is also a felony stalking complaint, alleges that between Feb. 14 and Aug. 21, 2010, that Michelle McCormick repeatedly stalked and harassed Brent and Brenda Lopresto “by continuously driving by their house when the Lopresto family members were in their yard, pointing and staring at a family member during soccer practice while they were walking around the track on April 2, 2010,” by staring and waving at the Loprestos while they were pulling out of their drive and by calling animal control to complain about the Lopresto’s dog.
Count 3 alleges that Jerry McCormick committed a felony act of intimidating a witness on March 16 “by filing a false complaint against Dan Talbot with the McAlester Police Department and by filing a formal citizen complaint against Dan Talbot with the McAlester Police Department, making false complaints of harassment...”
Count 4, a misdemeanor, alleges that Michelle McCormick falsely reported a crime on March 12 by filing a report with police alleging that Dan Talbot had followed a family member “and made faces at her while in Wal-Mart” on March 4. The charge alleges that the report against Dan Talbot was false.
Count 5, a misdemeanor, alleges that on March 16, Jerry McCormick committed a false report of a crime by alleging that Dan Talbot had made threats against McCormick’s wife, Michelle. The charge alleges that the report against Dan Talbot was false.
For more on this story, see Wednesday's print edition of the McAlester News-Capital. For subscription information call 423-1700.
Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.
