Criminal hearings held in local court

VW independent staff

10 defendants appeared in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday and Wednesday. Judge Martin D. Burchfield presided over each of the hearings. 

Arraignments

Ras Tafari, 46, of Haviland, entered a plea of not guilty to aggravated assault, a fourth degree felony. Tafari was released on a surety bond with a no-contact order and a pre-trial conference was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 23.  

Jeremy Paige, 41, of Van Wert, entered a plea of not guilty to an amended charge of violating a protection order, a first degree misdemeanor.  He was then sentenced to five days in jail but was given credit for five days already served. He was also ordered to pay court costs.

Competency hearing 

Alec Shull, 23, of Cecil, was found competent to stand trial after an evaluation at Court Diagnostic in Toledo. A second competency evaluation was requested by the state and ordered, and a further pre-trial was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. August 20. He’s facing six counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, all fourth degree felonies. plus six additional counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, fourth and fifth degree felonies. 

Time waivers

Justin Blom, 34, of Van Wert, signed a time waiver in open court and requested additional time to prepare his case. A pre-trial conference conference was scheduled 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 23. He’s facing one count of aggravated trafficking in drugs, a first degree felony and one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a second degree felony. 

Jonathan Landwehr, 29, 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 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 16.  Landwehr is facing 20 charges: five counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, all second degree felonies; five separate counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, fourth degree felonies; five counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person, second degree felonies, and five counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person, fourth degree felonies.

Plea changes 

Brian Elston, 50, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty of OVI, a felony of the fourth degree. Judge Burchfield scheduled sentencing for 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 30. 

Jeremy Dunbar, 28, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, both fifth degree felonies.  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.

Austin Campbell, 29, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty of assault, a first degree misdemeanor, and criminal damaging and endangering, second degree misdemeanors. Sentencing was scheduled for 9 a.m. July 30. 

Sentencing

After violating her intervention in lieu of conviction, Stephanie Kline, 39, of Paulding,  was sentenced to up to six months at the WORTH Center, three years of community control, and 30 days in jail at a later date for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth degree felony. She was ordered to undergo mental health and substance abuse assessment and treatment, and was ordered to pay partial appointed counsel fees, monthly probation fees and court costs. 

Matthew Gilliam, 40, of Van Wert, was sentenced to three years of community control, 60 days in jail at a later date and 52 hours of community service for strangulation, a fifth degree felony, and domestic violence, a first degree misdemeanor. He is to possess no alcohol and cannot have drugs without a prescription, and must undergo random screens, mental health and substance abuse assessment and treatment. He was ordered to pay partial appointed counsel fees, monthly probation fees and court costs.