Plea changes, other court hearings held

VW independent staff

The following criminal hearings were held between Friday, May 16, and Wednesday, May 21 in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court. Judge Martin D. Burchfield presided over each of the hearings.

Bond/treatment in lieu violation

Brianna Saxton, 28, of Van Wert, admitted to violating her bond and treatment in lieu for being discharged from the WORTH Center for violating the rules.  Sentencing was scheduled for 9 a.m. June 18.

Bond violation

Jeremy Dunbar, 28, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his bond by failing to report to probation. Bond was set at $5,000 surety and a pre-trial conference was scheduled for 9 a.m. July 2.

Competency hearing

Eric Pedemonti, 35, of Van Wert, was found competent to stand trial after an evaluation at Court Diagnostic in Toledo. A pre-trial conference was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. June 18. His bond was modified to a surety bond. Pedemonti is facing charges of theft, a fifth degree felony, and grand theft of a motor vehicle, a fourth degree felony.

Sentencing

Timothy Kiester, 61, of Berrien Springs, Michigan, was sentenced to five to 7.5 years in prison for pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, a second degree felony; 18 months for pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, a fourth degree felony, and 12 months for illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, a fifth degree felony. All sentences are to run concurrently and he was given credit for 70 days already served, and was ordered to pay court costs. See the full story above.

Plea changes

Jared Collins, 47, of Orient, changed his plea to guilty of having weapons while under disability, a third degree felony. He was then sentenced to nine months in prison to be served concurrently with his Paulding County case, and was ordered to pay court costs.

Timothy Coombs, 60, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to possession of cocaine, a fifth degree felony. He requested and was granted intervention in lieu of conviction and his case was stayed pending completion of the treatment program. He was ordered to pay court costs.

Probation violation

Ashley Paige, 31, of Van Wert, admitted to violating her probation for positive drug screens and termination from counseling. She was then sentenced to three years of community control, six months at Correctional Treatment Facility in Toledo, and 30 days in jail at a later date. She is to possess no alcohol or drugs without a prescription, undergo random screens, mental health and substance abuse assessment and treatment, and was ordered to pay partial appointed counsel fees, monthly probation fees and court costs.