Lima man headed to prison for robbery

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A Lima man convicted of robbing a local convenience store back in 2011 is headed to prison for nearly three years after admitted to violating his probation.

Colt Morris, 26, admitted he violated his community control program by leaving the Alvis House substance abuse treatment program without permission, testing positive for drugs and associating with a prohibited person.

Judge Charles D. Steele sentenced Morris to serve a 42-month prison sentence originally handed down in connection with the November 2011 robbery of the Pak-A-Sak convenience store in the 800 block of North Washington Street, but also credited him with 347 days already served.

Two other people were sentenced on Wednesday. They include:

• Justin Diltz, 59, of Delphos, was given 15 months in prison on each of two counts of trafficking in heroin, both felonies of the fourth degree. The sentences will be served concurrently and Diltz was also given credit for four days already served.
• Drew Kenny, 20, 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, on one count each of possession of drugs and trafficking in drugs, both of which are fifth-degree felony offenses. Kenny’s driver’s license was also suspended for six months

Two people were also arraigned Wednesday. They included:

• James Yoder, 19, of Dalton, pleaded not guilty to a charge of failure to stop after an accident, a felony of the fifth degree. He was released on a personal surety bond and a pretrial conference was scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, December 11.

• Jeremy Paige, 29, of Van Wert, pleaded guilty to a prosecutor’s bill of information charging him with criminal damaging, a misdemeanor of the second degree. The original charge of vandalism was dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea. Judge Steele ordered a presentence investigation and set sentencing for 9 a.m. December 11.

Two people also entered plea changes on Wednesday. They included:

• Robert Keipper, 18, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to two counts of breaking and entering, each a felony of the fifth degree. Two counts of burglary were dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea. A presentence investigation was ordered in the case and sentencing scheduled for 9 a.m. January 8, 2014. A personal surety bond was continued in the case.
• Kelli Pontius, 26, of Van Wert, changed her plea to guilty to a charge of illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a felony of the third degree. A charge of illegal manufacture of drugs was dismissed in exchange for her guilty plea. A presentence investigation was ordered in the case and Pontius will appear for sentencing at 9 a.m. January 8.