Jury finds man guilty on 1 drug count

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A jury deliberated about an hour before returning a mixed verdict against a Van Wert man charged with drug trafficking charges.

Kasey Schisler, 23, was found guilty of complicity to trafficking in heroin, a fourth-degree felony since the offense was committed in the vicinity of a school. The jury came in with a not guilty verdict on a second charge of trafficking in drugs, a fifth-degree felony.

The conviction relates to an offense that occurred last August, when Schisler helped Delaquan McCleskey of Dayton sell heroin near Washington Elementary School.

A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, August 8.

In other hearings held Wednesday in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court, three people were sentenced and four others entered plea changes to a variety of offenses.

Those sentenced include the following:

Brittany Bermudez, 21, of Arcadia, was given three years of community control on a charge of attempted burglary, a felony of the fourth degree. She was also sentenced to 30 days in jail, with credit for 15 days served, and that sentence will be served concurrently with a jail sentence handed down in Putnam County.

Bermudez was also ordered to live with her father and to have no contact with Logan Weis.

Rodney Walker, 40, of Van Wert, was given three years of community control on a charge of trespassing in a habitation, a fifth-degree felony. He must also spend 30 days in jail, with credit for time served, and undergo a substance abuse assessment.

Moses Wilder, 29, of Van Wert, was given three years of community control, to include up to six months in the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation (WORTH) Center in Lima. He was sentenced on a charge of domestic violence, a fourth-degree felony. He was released on a personal surety bond, but ordered to have no contact with the victim in the case.

Four other people entered plea changes. They include:

Britney Mitchell, 19, of Van Wert, changed her plea to guilty to a charge of possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. She then requested, and was granted, treatment in lieu of conviction. She will be under the supervision of the Adult Probation Department while undergoing substance abuse treatment.

Orman Goings II, 26, of Latty, changed his plea to guilty to a charge of operating a vehicle while impaired. Since this is his fourth offense in six years, the charge is a fourth-degree felony. Because Goings had another alcohol-related accident while out on bond in this case, he was ordered held without bond until his sentencing on August 8.

Sam Whisman, 20, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to a charge of trafficking in drugs, a fifth-degree felony. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing scheduled for August 8. A second drug trafficking count was dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea.

Hamilton Martinez, 51, of Phillipsburg, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft of a credit card, a fifth-degree felony. A second charge of theft from an elderly person was dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing set for August 8.