Man pleads to sex counts in CP Court

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A man already serving time in an Indiana prison was arraigned Wednesday on rape charges — one of eight people indicted by the August session of the Van Wert County Grand Jury — while a Marion woman involved in a home-invasion robbery who was let out of prison early was sent back to serve out her term.

Ralph Moorman, 41, who is currently serving time in the New Castle (Ind.) Correctional Facility, entered not guilty pleas to two counts of rape, both first-degree felonies, and one count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a felony of the fourth degree, during his arraignment hearing Wednesday morning in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Because Moorman is already in prison, no bond was set in the case. Judge Charles D. Steele scheduled a pretrial conference in the case for 8 a.m. Wednesday, August 15.

Also Wednesday, Elizabeth Ann Wyatt, 22, of Marion, was ordered returned to prison to serve out the remainder of a four-year term handed down in connection with a home-invasion robbery in Wren in December 2007.

Wyatt, who was released from prison after serving 2½ years of her sentence, was allowed to enter the in-house Foundations Recovery Center substance abuse treatment program in her hometown of Marion, but later left the program without completing it and then moved without the permission of her probation officer.

Judge Steele sentenced her to her original four-year prison term, but gave her credit for 1,125 days already served, giving her less than a year left to serve.

Wyatt and two Decatur, Ind., men, Ricky Lynn Fisher and Eric Zinsmaster, forced their way into the residence of Robert Patton back in December 2007 and Zinsmaster then assaulted Patton while Wyatt and Fisher ransacked the residence for valuables. Patton had to hospitalized for treatment of injuries received in the robbery.

Six other people were arraigned Wednesday. They include:

• Heather Haines, 33, of Camden, Mich., pleaded not guilty to a charge of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. She was released on a personal surety bond and a pretrial conference was set for 8 a.m. August 15.
• Jerad Smith, 24, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to a charge of possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony offense. He was released on a personal surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. August 15.
• Alisha Monroe, 29, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft, a felony of the fifth degree. She was released on a personal surety bond and a pretrial conference was scheduled for 8 a.m. August 15.
• Katie Zimmerman, 26, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to a charge of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. She was released on a personal surety bond and will appear at 8 a.m. August 15 for a pretrial conference.
• Taylor S. Baker, 20, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to a charge of domestic violence, a felony of the third degree. Bond was not set in the case because is currently in jail for 30 days on a charge from Van Wert Municipal Court. He will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. August 15.
• Stefan Dirham, 20, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to a charge of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. He was released on a surety bond and a pretrial conference set for 8 a.m. August 15.

In addition to Wyatt, four people were sentenced on a variety of charges in Common Pleas Court. They include:

• Dustin Stuckey, 26, of Van Wert, was given three years of community control, including up to six months in the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation (WORTH) Center in Lima, on a charge of trafficking in drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Stuckey also had his driver’s license suspended for six months.
• Hamilton Martinez, 51, of Phillipsburg, was given three years of community control on a charge of theft, a felony of the fifth degree. He was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution to the victim in the case by December 31.
• Shane Chestnut, 35, of Bryan, was given three years of community control, on a charge of violation of a civil protection order, a first-degree misdemeanor. He was also ordered to have no contact with the victim in the case and cannot enter Van Wert County without the permission of his probation officer.
• Josh Burnett, 32, of Van Wert, was given a year of community control on a charge of assault, a first-degree misdemeanor. Burnett, who has been working on his substance abuse problems, according to attorney Kenneth Rexford, must have no contact with the victim in the case and make restitution for the victim’s medical bills. Burnett was also given a 60-day jail sentence for violating his community control, but Judge Steele gave him 51 days credit for time already served.