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GOSHEN, Utah County — Two women accused of harassing the mayor of the town of Goshen, in part, by falsely claiming on social media he is involved in child human trafficking, are facing criminal charges accusing them of demanding a large sum of money in order for them to stop the harassment.
Amanda Kaye Bachman, 51, of Goshen, and Beth Marilyn Marie Schardine, 32, of Spanish Fork, were charged Friday in 4th District Court with two counts of theft by extortion and bribery to influence an official or political actions, second-degree felonies; plus electronic communication harassment, a class A misdemeanor; and criminal defamation, a class B misdemeanor.
On Jan. 10, Utah County sheriff's deputies served a court order "Writ of Assistance to Remove a Child" at Bachman's Goshen residence. In an apparent child custody battle with a 3-year-old girl's father, deputies had two warrants to remove the child from Bachman's home and place the girl in state protective custody, according to charging documents.
The child was "taken from Bachman through lawful courts order" and returned to her father, the charges state.
The girl's mother was living with Bachman at the time. When deputies went to the home, however, Bachman claimed the girl wasn't there and would not allow deputies to serve their warrant, according to the charges. Deputies said after attempts to physically prevent them from entering, they were eventually able to enter the home and took the child into protective custody.
Bachman was charged in that case with obstruction of justice, a class A misdemeanor.
Shortly after, however, Bachman posted on her Facebook page and other social media apps that the 3-year-old had been kidnapped by the Utah County Sheriff's Office and sold into human trafficking.
The social media attacks later focused on two local church leaders in Goshen. One of those men, Steven Staheli, is also the mayor of Goshen.
On Feb. 12, Staheli filed a report with the Utah County Sheriff's Office against Bachman and Schardine, saying he was the victim of "ongoing harassment" from the women and that he and the second man were being subject to "lies and distortions" and that the women were "demanding payment for $1 million," charging documents state.
The mayor said the women had sent a message stating that he and the second man "were being put on notice" that a lawsuit would be filed against them "for religious persecution and hate crimes. A portion of one of the messages said: 'If you would like to save any part of your reputations, here is the offer: (The 3-year-old girl) is returned immediately. You reinstate both mine and Mandy's memberships in full, with our recommends. You get to pay us punitive damages for the actual property damage you aided in and allowed, as well as the damage you inflicted on our reputations — $1 million,"' according to the charges.
Prosecutors say the two women have been making posts on social media sites falsely claiming the two men are trafficking children.
The two women also made posters and "posted them all over" Goshen saying the city is a "child trafficking area," the charges state. "The defendants post accusations on social media (accounts of) Amanda Bachman, Ally Cohenn, and Common Sense Therapy accusing (the two men) of child trafficking.
"Beth Schardine, as well, published nearly the exact texts on social media sites. Both women are making false accusations and threats that affect (the men's) reputations falsely. Both Amanda Bachman and Beth Schardine have threatened if they don't get $1 million … accusations and publications (and) harassments will grow and continue," the charging documents say. "The falsehoods and lies published by Bachman and Schardine have caused mental and emotional health problems, both professionally and personally" for the two men.
