City man gets prison on drug charges

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A man sentenced to prison on drug-related charges was one of 11 people who appeared for criminal hearings in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Adam Hector, 32, of Van Wert, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on each of two counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, each a felony of the fourth degree. The prison terms are to run consecutively to one another, for a total of 36 months in prison, while Hector was given credit for 18 days already served, and must pay $250 as restitution to the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force.

Five people changed their pleas during hearings held Wednesday.

Emily Bollenbacher, 28, of Van Wert, changed her plea to guilty to an amended charge of aggravated trafficking in drugs, a felony of the second degree, and one fourth-degree felony aggravated trafficking count. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing set for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 13.

Jeremy Lindeman, 37, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to one count of possession of cocaine, a felony of the fifth degree.

He was then sentenced to 60 days in jail, to run concurrently with a term he is serving in the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation (WORTH) Center in Lima that was handed down in Putnam County.

Calvin Placke, 25, of Convoy, changed his plea to guilty to one count each of trafficking in marijuana and possession of hashish, each a felony of the fifth degree. A presentence investigation was ordered and Placke will appear for sentencing at 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 27.

Jay Yoh, 60, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to one count each of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, a felony of the fourth degree, and operating a vehicle while impaired (OVI), a misdemeanor of the first degree. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing will be held at 9 a.m. November 27.

Johnathan Murphy, 34, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to a prosecutor’s bill of information charging him with one count of inducing panic, a misdemeanor of the first degree. Sentencing will be held at 9:30 a.m. November 13.

Two people were also arraigned in the past week.

Jason Zamora, 41, of Payne, pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the third degree. He was released on an unsecured personal surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. November 13.

Jeffery Harmon, 56, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to one count of grand theft, a felony of the fourth degree. He was released on a surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 10 a.m. Monday, December 2.

Two people also appeared for probation violation hearings.

Cameron Lyons, 21, of Lima, admitted to violating his probation by failing to give probation his current address and failing to report to his probation officer. He was sentenced to 176 days in jail, with credit for 173 days already served.

Spencer Davis, 28, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his probation by terminating his employment without permission, having a positive drug test, failing to report to probation, and failing to complete treatment. A $50,000 cash bond was set and sentencing scheduled for 9:30 a.m. November 13.

In addition, Christopher Carpenter, 19, of Decatur, Indiana, waived his constitutional right to a speedy trial in open court and requested, and was granted, more time to prepare his case. A pretrial conference was set for 2 p.m. Friday, December 20. Carpenter also requested for a modification of his $250,000 cash bond, but that request was denied.