Saturday, May 25, 2019

Trials scheduled 

A series of trials were scheduled recently in Jay Circuit Court. 

Anthony J. Pritchard, 41, 1213 Wayside Place, Portland, will have a two-day jury trial beginning July 15 for two counts of dealing methamphetamine, Level 4 felonies. 

Sunnie M. Champ, 34, 958 S. Shank St., Portland, is charged with possession of methamphetamine, a Level 5 felony, maintaining a common nuisance, a Level 6 felony, and possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor. Her two-day jury trial is scheduled to begin either July 11 or Aug. 1. In a separate case, Champ is facing two counts of dealing methamphetamine, Level 5 felonies. Her two-day jury trial for those charges is scheduled for Aug. 1. 

Jerry W. Binegar, 56, whose last known address was in Portland, will have a two-day jury trial either Aug. 1 or Aug. 22 for charges of possession of methamphetamine, a Level 5 felony; unlawful possession of a syringe and maintaining a common nuisance, Level 6 felonies; and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor. 

Breanna M. Lehman, 18, 107 Rick Drive, Dunkirk, is facing a charge of dealing a narcotic drug, a Level 5 felony. Her two-day jury trial is scheduled for Aug. 29. 

Zaaron Lee, 19, 209 E. Votaw St., Portland, is charged with dealing a narcotic drug, a Level 4 felony, and maintaining a common nuisance, a Level 6 felony. His two-day jury trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 5. 

Nathan Patterson, 22, 616 S. Main St., Dunkirk, is facing charges of dealing a narcotic drug, a Level 4 felony, and dealing a narcotic drug, a Level 5 felony. His two-day jury trial is scheduled for Sept. 26. 

Burglary 

A Dunkirk man pleaded guilty to two burglary charges in Jay Circuit Court. 

Christopher A. Hayden, 50, 328 N. Shatto St., pleaded guilty to burglary, a Level 5 felony. He was sentenced to three years in the Indiana Department of Correction and given credit for time served from June 1. He was assessed court costs of $185. Charges of automobile theft and unlawful possession of a syringe, Level 6 felonies, and theft, a Class A misdemeanor, were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, and a notice of intent to seek habitual offender status was withdrawn. 

In a separate case, Hayden pleaded guilty to burglary, a Level 5 felony. He was sentenced to three years in the Indiana Department of Correction, to be served consecutively to the prior charge, and was given credit for time served since Jan. 1. He was assessed court costs of $185. A second charge of burglary, a Level 5 felony, was dismissed as part of a plea agreement, and a notice of intent to seek habitual offender status was withdrawn. 

In a third circuit court case, two charges of dealing in a lookalike substance, Level 5 felonies, were dismissed. Also dismissed in Jay Superior Court were charges of possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor. 

Battery

A Dunkirk man pleaded guilty to a battery charge in Jay Circuit Court. 

Walter J. Newsome, 66, 2126 S. 800 West, pleaded guilty to battery resulting in bodily injury to a public safety official, a Level 5 felony. He also pleaded guilty to operating a motor vehicle after forfeiture of license for life, a Level 6 felony. 

His sentencing is scheduled for June 17. Charges of resisting law enforcement and neglect of a dependent, Level 6 felonies, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor, were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. 

OWI 

A Portland woman pleaded guilty to an enhanced drunk driving charge in Jay Superior Court. 

Dusti J. Gillum, 27, 210 E. Water St., pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated with an alcohol concentration of 0.15 percent or more and a passenger younger than 18, a Level 6 felony. She was sentenced to one year in Jay County Jail with all but 90 days suspended and given credit for three days served. She was ordered to serve an additional two days in jail and the remaining time on electronically monitored home detention. Gillum was assessed court costs of $185.50, placed on formal probation for nine months and ordered to pay an alcohol and drug countermeasures fee of $200 and a substance abuse program fee of $400. As part of a plea agreement, charges of neglect of a dependent and operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person with a passenger younger than 18, Level 6 felonies, were dismissed. 

Arson 

A man pleaded guilty in Jay Circuit Court to arson, a Level 4 felony. 

Cody J. Conkright, 26, whose last known address was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, will be sentenced on June 10. 

Theft

A Portland man pleaded guilty in Jay Circuit Court to two theft charges. 

David A. Darby, 29, 915 N. Ben Hawkins St., pleaded guilty to burglary, a Level 5 felony, as a lesser included offense of burglary, a Level 4 felony. He also pleaded guilty to automobile theft, a Level 6 felony. 

His sentencing is scheduled for June 17. 

Possession 

A man was sentenced in Jay Circuit Court for a drug possession charge. 

Raymond M. Castillo Jr., 42, whose last known address was in Portland, pleaded guilty April 9 to possession of methamphetamine, a Level 5 felony.

He was sentenced recently to five years in the Indiana Department of Correction and was given credit for time served since June 21. The court will consider modifying his sentence if he completes a substance abuse treatment program. Castillo was assessed court costs of $185 and ordered to pay a drug abuse, prosecution, interdiction and correction fee of $200. Charges of unlawful possession of a syringe and maintaining a common nuisance, Level 6 felonies, were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. 

Possession 

A Dunkirk woman was sentenced in Jay Circuit Court for a drug possession charge. 

Tabitha G. Harvey, 37, 379 W. Pleasant St., pleaded guilty to possession of a narcotic drug, a Level 5 felony. She was sentenced to three years in the Indiana Department of Correction, to be served consecutively to a charge of dealing a narcotic drug, a Level 5 felony, for which she was sentenced in January 2017. As part of a plea agreement, a charge of unlawful possession of a syringe, a Level 6 felony, was dismissed. 

Possession 

A Redkey man was sentenced in Jay Circuit Court for a drug possession charge. 

Michael R. Hartley, 32, 320 E. Sheridan St., pleaded guilty on April 8 to possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony, as a lesser included offense of his original charge of possession of methamphetamine, a Level 5 felony. He was sentenced recently to Jay County Jail for 18 months and given six days credit for three days served. The remaining time will be served on electronically monitored home detention. He was assessed court costs of $185 and ordered to pay a drug abuse, prosecution, interdiction and correction fee of $200. 

Probation violation 

A woman was sentenced in Jay Circuit Court to additional jail time for violating her probation. 

Jasma N. Leonhard, 31, whose last known address was in Dunkirk, was found in violation of her probation on the original charge of dealing methamphetamine, a Level 5 felony, which she was originally sentenced for on March 30, 2018. She was ordered to serve one year in Jay County Jail and given credit for time served from April 11. An additional petition alleging probation violation was dismissed. Leonhard’s probation was terminated unsuccessfully. 

Assisting, theft 

A Portland woman pleaded guilty to two charges in Jay Superior Court.

Kala L. Chowning, 27, 3782 E. 500 South, pleaded guilty to assisting a criminal, a Level 6 felony. She was sentenced to one year in Jay County Jail with all but 65 days suspended and given eight days credit for four days served. The remaining time will be served on electronically monitored home detention. She was fined $1, assessed court costs of $185 and placed on formal probation for six months. As part of a plea agreement, charges of resisting law enforcement and possession of marijuana, Class A misdemeanors, were dismissed. 

In a separate case, Chowning pleaded guilty to theft, a Class A misdemeanor. She was sentenced to one year in Jay County Jail with all but 120 days suspended, to be served consecutively to the prior charge. She was given four days credit for two days served. The remaining time will be served on electronically monitored home detention beginning June 19. She was assessed court costs of $185 and placed on formal probation for six months.

Two additional charges of theft, Class A misdemeanors, were dismissed. 

Probation violation 

A Muncie man was sentenced in Jay Superior Court for violating his probation. 

Chad A. Hunt, 41, 8414 Indiana 3, was found in violation of his probation on the original charge of possession of a narcotic drug, a Level 6 felony. He was ordered to serve an additional 120 days of the sentence imposed on April 18, 2018. His probation was terminated unsuccessfully. 

Probation violation 

A Hartford City man was sentenced in Jay Circuit Court to additional prison time for violating his probation. 

Dallas K. Wilburn, 517 S. Jefferson St., was found in violation of his probation on the original charge of dealing methamphetamine, a Level 5 felony. He was ordered to serve an additional two years of the sentence imposed on May 18, 2016, and was given credit for time served from Feb. 22 to March 4 and from April 12. He will return to probation upon his release from the Indiana Department of Correction. The sentence will be served consecutively to the sentence for a charge of possession of a device or substance used to interfere with a drug or alcohol screening test, a Class B misdemeanor, for which Wilburn was sentenced on April 10.