Noriega pleads not guilty to murder charges

A Mayetta resident accused of first-degree murder in connection with the November 2015 stabbing death of a Mayetta woman pleaded not guilty to that and other charges on Friday morning in Jackson County District Court.

District Court Judge Norbert Marek set a five-day jury trial to begin July 18 for Wilson R. Noriega, 50, on the criminal case that stemmed from the Nov. 21 stabbing death of Leann M. Sanchez, 49, at a residence reportedly owned by Noriega’s parents on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation.

Friday’s arraignment hearing was held to cover three criminal cases involving Noriega, including a drug possession case allegedly stemming from a July incident and a case related to an incident that reportedly occurred on Dec. 14 at the Jackson County Detention Center, where Noriega is being held on $1 million bond. Marek set trial dates for the other two criminal cases on separate dates in August.

In the case involving the stabbing death of Sanchez, who reportedly lived with Noriega at the time of her death at his parents’ home on the Potawatomi reservation, Noriega was charged with first-degree murder and possession of methamphetamines and drug paraphernalia.

The second case involved marijuana and paraphernalia possession charges related to a July 2015 incident. The third involved a charge of trafficking contraband into a correctional facility — namely, a “shank” — as well as charges of criminal damage to property at the jail.

Marek noted that even though the arraignment was being held for all three cases against Noriega, all three cases would need to be tried separately. Jackson County Attorney Shawna Miller said that each of the cases relating to the July and December incidents would only require one day in trial.

As a result, Marek scheduled the trial for the July incident for Aug. 16 and the trial for the December incident for Aug. 18 in district court.