‘Home invasion’ suspect enters plea

Van Wert independent

A Defiance woman changed her plea as part of a plea negotiation during hearings held Wednesday in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Dominique Brown, 27, entered a plea of guilty to a prosecutor’s bill of information charging her with aggravated assault, a fourth-degree felony. She was originally charged with aggravated burglary and felonious assault, but those charges were dismissed in exchange for her guilty plea to the assault charge.

Brown and a second person, Michael Brown, 20, also of Defiance, were charged in connection with a “home invasion” robbery in the county.

A presentence investigation was ordered in the case and a sentencing hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 8.

Also appearing Wednesday in Common Pleas Court were the following:

Lawrence Blakely, 64, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to nine counts of deception to obtain a dangerous drug, each a felony of the fifth degree, and one count of worker’s compensation fraud, a first-degree misdemeanor. He then requested, and was granted, treatment in lieu of conviction by Judge Charles D. Steele, who stayed proceedings in the case until Blakely’s treatment program was successfully completed.

Michael Coombs Jr., 29, of Van Wert, was sentenced to three years of community control on a charge of trafficking in marijuana, a fifth-degree felony offense. As part of that sentence, Coombs must spend up to six months in the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation (WORTH) Center in Lima and also had his driver’s license suspended for six months. Coombs also was ordered to pay $350 in restitution to the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force for money used to purchase drugs in the case.

Two people also changed their pleas to guilty during hearings held Wednesday. They include:

John McDermitt, 20, of Celina, pleaded guilty to a charge of contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a child, a misdemeanor of the first degree. A second charge of importuning, a felony of the fifth degree, was dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 24.

Bradley Workman, 30, of Monroeville, Ind., entered a guilty plea to a charge of nonsupport of dependents, a felony of the fifth degree. He then asked to enter the prosecutor’s diversion program and that request was granted by Judge Steele.