Drug, other hearings held in CPC

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

A total of 14 criminal hearings took place in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday, April 30. Seven of the 14 cases involved various drug charges. Judge Martin Burchfield presided over each of the hearings.

Plea changes

Elizabeth Hoersten, 40, of Lima, changed her plea to guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth degree felony. She requested and was granted intervention in lieu of conviction for two years and her case was stayed pending completion of the treatment program. She was also sentenced to up to six months at the WORTH Center and any aftercare treatment and was ordered to pay court costs.

Adam Purdy, 47, of Delphos, changed his plea to guilty of aggravated possession of drugs, a third degree felony. He requested and was granted intervention in lieu of conviction for two years and his case was stayed pending completion of the treatment program. He was ordered to spend up to six months at the WORTH Center and undergo any aftercare treatment, and must pay court costs.

Morgan Schlatman, changed her plea to guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a third degree felony. She requested and was granted intervention in lieu of conviction and her case was stayed pending completion of the treatment program. She was ordered to pay court costs.

Joshua Sargent, 43, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to domestic violence, a felony of the third degree. He was immediately sentenced to 18 months in prison with credit for 87 days already served and was ordered to pay court costs.

Michael Flickinger, 59, of Venedocia, changed his plea to guilty to sexual battery, a third degree felony; gross sexual imposition, a fourth degree felony, and voyeurism, a fifth degree felony. Judge Burchfield ordered a pre-sentence investigation and scheduled sentencing for 10 a.m. June 23.

Sentencing hearings

Jesse Stemen, 36, of Willshire, was sentenced to a total of 54 months in prison on charges of receiving stolen property, domestic violence, aggravated possession of drugs and aggravated trafficking in drugs (see story above).

After violating her intervention in lieu of conviction, Heaven Thomas, 27, of Van Wert, was sentenced to an additional year of intervention in lieu and was ordered to pay court costs for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth degree felony.

Gary Yates, 41, of Van Wert, was sentenced to 18 months in prison with credit for 273 days already served for failure to provide notice of change of address, a third degree felony. He was also ordered to pay court costs.

Augustine Barajas, 36, of Convoy, was sentenced to 16 months prison with credit for 35 days already served for theft from a person in a protected class, a fourth degree felony, and 12 months in prison with credit for 35 days served for breaking and entering, a fifth degree felony. The sentences will be served concurrently, and Barajas was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,500, plus court costs.

After violating intervention in lieu of conviction, Brianna Sexton, 28, was sentenced to an additional two years of intervention in lieu and up to six months at the WORTH Center and any aftercare treatment for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth degree felony. She was also ordered to pay court costs.

Arraignment

Jeremy Dunbar, 28, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, both fifth degree felonies. He was released on a surety bond and a pre-trial conference was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. May 21.

Time waiver

Jadyn Bullinger, 20, of Van Wert, signed a time waiver in open court and requested additional time to prepare his case. A pre-trial conference was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. June 12. He’s charged with two counts of aggravated vehicular assault, third degree felonies, and OVI, a first degree misdemeanor.

Nolle prosequi

In two separate and unrelated cases, involving Hunter Pool, 30, of Greenfield, Indiana, and Anthony Oliver, 30, of Van Wert, the Van Wert County Prosecutor’s Office offered a Nolle prosequi and both were accepted.

A Nolle prosequi is a legal notice or entry of record that the prosecutor or plaintiff has decided to abandon the prosecution or lawsuit.