VW pair gets prison on meth lab charges

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Two charged in connection with a meth lab found at Van Wert West Apartments were given prison sentences Wednesday in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Abby Thatcher, 25, of Van Wert, was sentenced to three years each on charges of illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a felony of the second degree, and endangering children, a third-degree felony. The prison sentences will run concurrently, while Thatcher was also given credit for 33 days already served.

Ronald Smith, 26, of Van Wert, was sentenced to three years in prison on a charge of illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a felony of the second degree. Smith was also given credit for 40 days already served, and agreed to the forfeiture of a 1998 Ford Explorer used in the commission of the crime.

The two were charged in connection with a meth lab discovered by city police at the Van Wert West Apartments in early January following a traffic stop at the intersection of Shannon and George streets early on the morning of January 4.

Police found methamphetamine in the stopped vehicle, as well as items related to the manufacture of meth. A search warrant was then obtained for an apartment at Van Wert West Apartments, where those involved in the traffic stop were living. A meth lab was discovered at the apartment and personnel from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation were called in to process the dangerous chemicals found in the apartment.

Thatcher was charged with endangering children because of the manufacture of meth in a multi-family apartment building in the presence of children, creating a fire and toxic waste danger.

Others sentenced on Wednesday include the following:

Tia Spearman, 28, of Lima, was given 10 months in prison on a charge of theft, a felony of the fifth degree. Judge Martin Burchfield also gave Spearman credit for 29 days already served.

Kyle Goodwin, 28, of Van Wert, was sentenced to five years of community control on one count each of theft and forgery, both fifth-degree felony offenses. Goodwin must also spend up to six months at the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation (WORTH) Center in Lima, was ordered to obtain his GED and job training, and to undergo a substance abuse assessment and any treatment recommended.

Tiffany Shuler, 31, of Vann Wert, was given five years of community control, including up to six months at the WORTH Center, on a charge of trafficking in cocaine, a felony of the fifth degree. She was also ordered to obtain her GED and job training and to undergo a substance abuse assessment and any recommended treatment.

Also Wednesday, three people entered pleas to probation violation charges.

Kevin Davies Jr., 27, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his probation by possessing drugs and failing to report to probation. He was sentenced to five years of community control, including up to six months at the WORTH Center, and ordered to undergo a drug court assessment.

Breana Blair, 20, of Van Wert, admitted to violating her probation by not reporting for drug screens, moving without permission, and failing to engage in the drug court program.

She was sentenced to serve the remaining 27 days of her original sentence at the Van Wert County Correctional Facility.

Jered Couch, 29, of Van Wert, denied violating his probation by being terminated from the WORTH Center. Probate-Juvenile Judge Kevin Taylor scheduled a hearing on the matter for 9 a.m. Friday, April 7.

Alvaro Moreno, 25, of Delta, changed his plea to guilty to a charge of theft, a felony of the fifth degree. Judge Burchfield then ordered a presentence investigation in the case and set sentencing for 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 26. Moreno was released on a surety bond until sentencing.