Man gets prison for sexual battery

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A Van Wert man convicted of having sex with a young girl was sentenced to eight years in prison during a hearing held Wednesday in Van County Common Pleas Court.

George Tromblay, 56, was also classified as a Tier 3 sex offender, which means he will have to register every 90 days for the rest of his life. Tromblay was originally charged with rape, a felony of the first degree, for having sex with a girl under the age of 13. The charge was later reduced to sexual battery, a second-degree felony, in exchange for Tromblay’s guilty plea.

Prior to sentencing, the mother of Tromblay’s young victim spoke about the impact of his crime on her family.

“This man, for years, took my daughter’s innocence,” the woman said tearfully. “He was like a part of the family … we trusted him. He looked us straight in our faces, knowing what he was doing since my daughter was 6 years old.”

Judge Charles D. Steele also noted that Tromblay would be given five years of post-release control (probation) following his release from prison, and also credited him with 220 days served in jail while awaiting sentencing.

A Van Wert woman faces up to 12 years in prison and a maximum of $40,000 in fines after she changed her plea to guilty to four drug trafficking charges on Wednesday.

Patricia Bigham, 29, entered guilty pleas to four counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, all third-degree felony offenses. As part of a plea agreement, two of the counts were reduced from second-degree felonies, while Bigham also agreed to pay $2,854 in restitution to the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force.

The woman will be sentenced on Wednesday, March 13.

Others changing pleas on Wednesday include the following:

Audrey Houser, 34, of Van Wert, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated trafficking in drugs, a felony of the fourth degree. Two other similar counts were dismissed in exchange for her guilty plea. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing set for 9 a.m. March 13.

Tyler Torrey, 20, of Convoy, entered a guilty plea to two counts of drug trafficking, both fifth-degree felonies. A third charge was dismissed in exchange for the guilty plea. He then requested, and was granted, treatment in lieu of conviction.

Zachary Baker, 25, of Van Wert, pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. A second charge was dismissed. He will be sentenced on March 13.

Gary Stephens, 55, of Convoy, changed his plea to “no contest” on a charge of breaking and entering, a felony of the fifth degree, and was found guilty by Judge Steele. A burglary count was dismissed. He will be sentenced on March 6.

Three people also appeared on probation violation charges. They include:

Kyle Barnes, 26, of Van Wert, was charged with violating four conditions of his probation He was resentenced to three years of community control, with up to six months in the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation (WORTH) Center in Lima as an added condition.

Megan Wannemacher, 27, of Van Wert, also admitted she violated her community control and resentenced to three years of community control.

Klarisa Mendoza, 25, of Van Wert, had her hearing continued on a community control violation so the court could obtain additional information relating to the charge.

A Van Wert man also received three years of community control on a drug trafficking charge. Scott Spry, 36, was sentenced on the fourth-degree felony offense and must also serve 30 days in jail, although he could be eligible for work release. His driver’s license was also suspended for six months as part of his sentence.