Delphos man gets prison in CP Court

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A Delphos man was sent to prison during hearings held Wednesday in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Shaun Duckett, 22, had been terminated from the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation (WORTH) Center in Lima for committing a number of infractions and Judge Charles D. Steele decided that he was no longer amenable to community control, ordering him to serve a 12-month prison term earlier handed down on a charge of attempted burglary, a felony of the fourth degree. Duckett was given credit for 138 days already served in jail while awaiting sentencing.

Walter E. Stephens, 59, of Vero Beach, Fla., was sentenced to 180 days in jail as part of a three-year community control sentence handed down on a charge of importuning, a third-degree felony offense. Stephens was also designated a Tier I sex offender, which means he must register regularly with the sheriff of the county in which he works, lives and/or goes to school for the next 15 years.

Dezmond Bywaters, 21, of Van Wert, was sentenced to three years of community control, including up to six months at the WORTH Center, on a charge of theft, a fifth-degree felony offense. Bywaters allegedly stole a wedding ring and then pawned the ring.

As part of his sentence Bywaters must pay $50 in restitution to the pawn shop and complete substance abuse and psychological assessments and undergo any treatment recommended.

Christopher Lindeman, 25, of Delphos, was also sentenced to up to six months in the WORTH Center as part of a three-year community control term he received on a charge of receiving stolen property, a fifth-degree felony offense.

Lindeman must also pay restitution of $91 to the victim in the case and complete a substance abuse assessment and any recommended treatment.

Roger Risner, 49, of Rensselaer, Ind., was given a year of community control on a first-degree misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest. Risner pleaded guilty in August to the charge on a prosecutor’s bill of information. A felony charge of assault on a peace officer was dismissed then in exchange for his guilty plea to the resisting arrest charge.

Dustyn Taylor, 22, of Convoy, will be spending 30 days in jail on a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespassing. Taylor, along with a co-defendant in the case, must pay $1,100 in restitution to their victim.

Also Wednesday, Andrew J. Miller, 27, of Fort Jennings, changed his plea to guilty on a charge of robbery, a felony of the second degree. A charge of aggravated burglary, a felony of the first degree, was dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea on the robbery count.

Miller and another man assaulted a teen during a home invasion burglary at a Delphos residence on July 10. The pair then took a television and some cash and cell phones, as well as other items from the residence.

Prosecutor Charles F. Kennedy III made a recommendation that Miller be given a maximum sentence of four years in prison on the charge when he appears for sentencing on October 30.

 

Van Wert independent/submitted information

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife is offering a home study Hunter Safety class.

To successfully complete the program, participants need to download the home study manual, complete all of the required worksheets and then pass a written test supervised by a Division of Wildlife employee or certified instructor volunteer.

In Van Wert County, the final written test will be given at the Van Wert County Outdoorsmen Club on Saturday, October 5, and Saturday, November 2.  Pre-registration for the final test is required and there are only a limited number of seats available.

The final completion session usually lasts 3-4 hours.  Each home study chapter review quiz must be presented at the completion session.  Completion sessions include the same 100-question final certification test as the instructor-led course.  It will also include firearm safety training and other topics.  This program is free to area residents.
For more information including links to the home study manual, visit the club’s website at http://VWOutdoorsmen.info.