The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

Convoy man gets prison term on sex count

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A Convoy man convicted of sexual battery was sentenced to four years in prison during hearings held Wednesday in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Court artwork 12-2013 copyJudge Martin Burchfield handed down the sentence on Ezra Lavy, 47, and also classified him as a tier 3 sexual offender, which means he must register with the sheriff of any county in which he resides, works and attends school every 90 days for the rest of his life.

Lavy was originally charged with rape, a felony of the first degree, but that charge was dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea to the sexual battery charge, which is a third-degree felony.

Also Wednesday, Jordan Vickery, 32, of Middle Point, was sentenced to 12 months in prison on each of two counts of attempted tampering with evidence, each a felony of the fourth degree. Judge Burchfield ordered the prison sentences to be served concurrently and also gave Vickery credit for 72 days already served.

Judge Burchfield also sentenced a third person to community control. Ryanne Doner, no age or address listed, was given a year of community control and 26 days of jail time, beginning Friday (with work release), on a charge of attempted trafficking in heroin, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Judge Burchfield also presided over two changes of plea hearings.

Faith Busbey, 33, of Lima, pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of heroin, a felony of the fifth degree. She then requested, and was granted, treatment in lieu of conviction and her case was stayed until successful completion of a substance abuse treatment program.

Josh McGinnis, 34, of Delphos, changed his plea to guilty to an amended charge of attempted endangering children, a felony of the fourth degree (downgraded from a third-degree felony count of endangering children). A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 1.

Judge Burchfield also granted a request from Drew Kenny, 22, of Van Wert, for a new attorney, and rescheduled his sentencing on a heroin trafficking charge to 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 10.

Probate-Juvenile Judge Kevin Taylor also heard five cases on Wednesday.

Christopher Corwin, 33, of Van Wert, was sentenced to five 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 permitting drug abuse, a felony of the fifth degree. His driver’s license was also suspended for six months and he was ordered to pay restitution totaling $680 to the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force.

Tommie Pruitt, 38, of Dayton, was sentenced to five years of community control on a charge of theft, a felony of the fifth degree. He was also ordered to pay $4,300 in restitution to Hamler Chevrolet.

Justin Taylor, 30, of Van Wert, was given a one-week continuance of his treatment in lieu of conviction violation hearing so that his attorney could gather more information on the charge. The case was continued until 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 4.

Jeffrey Wills, 34, of Lima, denied violating his community control by failing to report to probation and failing to follow up after his release from the WORTH Center. A hearing will be set in the case at a later date.

Judge Taylor also denied Paul Susralski, 50, of Van Wert, early release from prison during a hearing held Wednesday.

POSTED: 10/29/15 at 8:03 am. FILED UNDER: News