VW man sent to prison for sex offense

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A city man sentenced to prison for a sex-related charge was one of six people who appeared for criminal hearings this past week in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Chad Fowler, 35, was sentenced to 12 months in prison on a charge of importuning, a felony of the fifth degree. Judge Martin D. Burchfield also designated Fowler a Tier 3 sex offender, meaning he will have to register as an offender every 90 days for life.

April McCollum, 46, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to one count each of aggravated burglary, a felony of the first degree, and carrying a concealed weapon, a fourth-degree felony offense, during her arraignment hearing. A $50,000 cash bond was set in the case and a telephone pretrial conference scheduled for 8 a.m. Friday, July 17.

Three people entered changes of plea over the past week.

Joshua Wolfe, 43, of Willshire, changed his plea to guilty to four counts of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, each a felony of the fourth degree, and prosecutor’s bill of information charging him with two counts of sexual imposition, each a felony of the third degree. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing set for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, August 5.

Mark Eberle, 42, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to one count of operating a vehicle while impaired, a felony of the fourth degree. A presentence investigation was ordered and Eberle will appear for sentencing at 8 a.m. Friday, August 7.

Brook Schuemann, 21, of Decatur, Indiana, entered a plea of guilty to a prosecutor’s bill of information charging her with criminal simulation, a misdemeanor of the first degree. One count of counterfeiting was dismissed in exchange for her guilty plea to the lesser charge. Sentencing will be held at 8:20 a.m. Thursday, July 23.

Also this week, Aleides Ordonez-Cruz, 27, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, signed a waiver of his constitutional right to a speedy trial in open court and requested, and was granted, additional time to prepare his case. A final pretrial conference was scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, September 8, and a trial date scheduled for Monday, July 28.