City man gets prison term on drug count

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A Van Wert man who was sentenced to more than four years in prison was among 14 people who appeared in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court over the past week.

Christopher Caldwell, 29, of Van Wert, was sentenced to 54 months in prison on a charge of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the third degree. Judge Martin D. Burchfield gave Caldwell credit for 94 days already served, while a 2000 Chevrolet Impala used in the commission of the crime was ordered forfeited to the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office.

A Convoy man was given jail terms on misdemeanor counts on Thursday, June 21.

Norman Foertch Jr., 49, of Convoy, was sentenced to 30 days in jail on a count of sexual imposition, a misdemeanor of the third degree; and 180 days in jail, with 120 days of that suspended, on a charge of providing alcohol to minors, a first-degree misdemeanor. The jail terms will run concurrently to each other, meaning Foertch will serve a total of 60 days in jail. The Convoy man will report to the Van Wert County Correctional Facility on Thursday, July 5, to serve the jail term, with work release. He must also provide 52 hours of community service and undergo a mental health assessment and treatment, including sex offender treatment, and must also register as a Tier 1 sex offender, with a  reporting requirement once a year for the next 15 years.

Kasey Schisler, 29, of Van Wert, was sentenced to 120 days in jail on a charge of theft from a person in a protected class, a felony of the fifth degree. Judge Burchfield also gave Schisler credit for 43 days already served.

Three people were also arraigned this week on drug-related charges.

Kevin Davies Jr., 28, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. He was released on an unsecured personal surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 18.

Two Athens residents also appeared for arraignments before Magistrate Joseph Quatman.

Kayla Russell, 26, entered a not guilty plea to one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree, while Bradley York, 31, pleaded not guilty to one count each of possession of cocaine and aggravated possession of drugs, each a felony of the fifth degree.

Both defendants were released on personal surety bonds and will appear for pretrial conferences at 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 11.

Five people entered changes of plea during hearings held this week.

Jasmine Diemer, 34, of Van Wert, changed her plea to guilty to two counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, each a felony of the fourth degree (reduced from third-degree felony counts). A presentence investigation will be conducted and Diemer will be sentenced at 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 25.

Zack Germann, 30, of Van Wert, pleaded guilty to a prosecutor’s bill of information correcting the Ohio Revised Code sections for his previous plea to two counts of assault, each a misdemeanor of the second degree. He also admitted to violating his bond by testing positive for drugs.

Following his pleas, Germann requested, and was granted, treatment in lieu of conviction.

Philip Raines, 30, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to domestic violence, a misdemeanor of the first degree (reduced from a fourth-degree felony). Raines was given two years of community control and must undergo anger management and substance abuse counseling as part of his probation. A 180-day jail term and $1,000 fine were suspended.

Larry Flory III, 34, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to one count of domestic violence, a felony of the first degree (reduced from a fourth-degree felony). He was given three years of community control, which includes anger management and substance abuse counseling. A 180-day jail term and $1,000 fine were suspended.

Richard Temple, 18, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to an amended charge of theft, a misdemeanor of the first degree (reduced from a fifth-degree felony). He was sentenced to 180 days in jail (173 days suspended), to be served starting July 5. A $1,000 fine was suspended, but Temple must obtain his General Educational Development (GED) certificate and make restitution to the victim in the case.

Two people admitted to bond violations in Common Pleas Court.

Josh Sargent, 36, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his bond by testing positive for methamphetamines. He was released on a surety bond, but must be tested for drugs three times a week while on bond. A pretrial conference was scheduled for 8 a.m. Wednesday, August 8.

Keli Pontius, 31, of Van Wert, admitted to violating her bond by testing positive for methamphetamines. A $10,000 cash/commercial surety bond was set by Judge Burchfield, who also set a pretrial conference for 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, July 3.

Josh McGinnis, 36, of Convoy, signed a waiver of his constitutional right to a speedy trial and requested additional time to prepare his case. A pretrial conference was scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, July 23.