2 plead at Common Pleas Court hearings

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Three people appeared in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court over the past week, with two of those being changes of plea. More people would have appeared for hearings if the court wasn’t closed today and Thursday because of frigid temperatures.

Scott McDonley, 34, of Celina, appeared last Thursday and changed his plea to guilty to one count of theft, a felony of the fifth degree, amended from a fourth-degree felony. He was then sentenced to 180 days in jail, to be served concurrently with an Auglaize County prison sentence.

Adam Blatteau, 38, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to a fifth-degree theft charge during a hearing held Friday, January 25. He then requested treatment in lieu of conviction in that case. Blatteau also changed his plea to guilty to a charge of telecommunications harassment, a misdemeanor of the first degree. He was then sentenced to 45 days in jail, with credit for 45 days already served.

Judge Martin D. Burchfield ordered the theft case continued until March 26 for a hearing on the treatment in lieu of conviction request.

On Tuesday, Benjamin McIntosh, 43, of Delphos, admitted to violating his unsecured personal surety bond by not reporting to probation. Judge Burchfield set a new bond at $10,000 cash or commercial surety, and scheduled a pretrial conference for February 13.