Jury trial is now on the docket in a Lyon County identity theft and conspiracy case.
Demetrius Odom, age 30 of Decader, Georgia, was set for potential trial start dates of Feb. 18, March 3 or March 31 as part of a pretrial hearing last week. A motion hearing is planned Feb. 7, with a trial status hearing set for Feb. 12.
The Kansas Attorney General’s Office says Odom allegedly stole from an unlisted number of liquor stores across Kansas in 2023, including four in Emporia: Carlos Liquor, Emporia Liquor & Wine, Liquor Locker and The Liquor Store. He’s officially charged with seven counts, four involving identity theft, two for criminal use of a card and one for conspiracy.
The Attorney General’s Office says the state plans to submit evidence of Odom’s prior criminal activity across Kansas, saying it is similar to the alleged crimes in Emporia two years ago. Defense attorney Rand Simmons, meanwhile, has submitted two separate in limine motions, one to exclude any evidence offered by prosecutors after Jan. 11 because of trial preparation concerns and the other to exclude mentions of Odom’s co-defendants.
The Attorney General’s Office says Odom has at least one co-defendant, but the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal does not have any criminal case filed against Dwayne Rhoden.
