6 sentenced, 11 appear in local CP Court

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Six people were sentenced, while 11 people appeared Wednesday for hearings in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Ronald McNeal, 31, of Van Wert, was given a 24-month prison sentence on a charge of failure to register as a sex offender. Judge Martin Burchfield, who handled all but one case on Wednesday, also gave McNeal credit for 70 days already served.

Zachary Craig, 36, of Van Wert, was sentenced by Judge Burchfield to nine months in prison on a charge of possession of cocaine, a fourth-degree felony offense. Craig also received credit for 63 days already served and his 1998 Oldsmobile minivan was forfeited to the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force.

Fernando Juarez, 37, of Toledo, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for failure to register as a sex offender. However, he will serve no actual prison time because he had earned credit for 454 days already served while awaiting sentencing.

Other sentencings by Judge Burchfield:

Justin Watkins, 31, of Convoy, was sentenced to five years of community control on a charge of attempted having a weapon while under disability, a felony of the fourth degree.

He was also given 60 days in jail, with work release. He must also obtain his General Educational Development (GED) certificate and pay child support.

Leonard Acquaviva, 53, of Van Wert, was sentenced to two years of community control on a charge of theft, a first-degree misdemeanor. He must also serve 90 days in jail, with work release available, and must pay restitution to the Department of Job and Family Services and to the Social Security Administration.

Jose Sanchez, 36, of Van Wert, was given five years of community control on a charge of domestic violence, a felony of the fourth degree. He was also given 90 days in jail, with work release available.

Judge Burchfield also took two changes of plea on Wednesday.

Drew Kenny, 22, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to a charge of trafficking in heroin in the vicinity of a juvenile, a felony of the fourth degree. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, October 28.

Jordan Vickery, 32, of Middle Point, changed his plea to guilty to two counts of attempted tampering with evidence, each a felony of the fourth degree (reduced from third-degree felony charges of tampering with evidence) A presentence investigation was ordered and Vickery will appear for sentencing at 9 a.m. October 28.

Judge Burchfield also accepted a plea as part of a prosecutor’s bill of information. Ezra Lavy, 47, of Convoy, pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual battery, a felony of the third degree. In exchange for his plea, the original rape charge was dismissed. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing set for 9 a.m. October 28.

Van Wert County Probate-Juvenile Judge Kevin Taylor also heard a change of plea on Wednesday. Christopher Corwin, 33, of Van Wert, entered a guilty plea to a charge of permitting drug abuse, a felony of the fifth degree. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 4.