TO:  Local News Media

FROM:   Van Wert County Common Pleas Court       

DATE:   Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Re:   Criminal Hearings

Thomas Stocklin, Jr., 54, Delphos, Ohio  and his son Jeffrey Thomas Stocklin, 30, Lima, Ohio appeared for sentencing  on a charge of Burglary a felony of the third degree.    The  father-son duo were charged for an incident that took place in September at a home in the 300 block of South Canal Street in Delphos.

According to a Delphos Police investigation the two men along with a female had removed two refrigerators from an enclosed front porch of the home and sold the refrigerators for scrap metal at a local scrap yard in Delphos, Ohio.

Thomas Stocklin, Jr. age 54 was given a total different sentence than that of his son.  Judge Steele sentence the father to three years of community control and sent him to the WORTH Center in Lima, Ohio for up to six months, but then sentenced Jeffrey 30, of Lima, son of Thomas Stocklin to a nine month prison sentence.   

Judge Steele told Jeffrey Stocklin that he had a very lengthy criminal record dating back to his juvenile years,  back to 1997 when Jeffrey Stocklin was sixteen years of age until this present charge, nearly every year since 1997 Stocklin had some sort of an arrest for a violation.  

The two were ordered to make restitution to the victim in the case along with other costs associated with their case.

 Steven R. Putt, 43, Decatur, Indiana, was arraigned and entered a not guilty plea to a charge of Non-Support of Dependents.   Was released on a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond with a pretrial a hearing scheduled for February 12^th, 2012 at 8:00 a.m..

                                                                                                Page #2

Joshua Schmidt,  28,  presently incarcerated in prison on an unrelated charge, entered a not guilty plea to a charge of Failing to Register as a Sex Offender, this was second violation for this type of charge.   Schmidt will be released from prison shortly.   Judge Steele set bond at $10,000 cash along with a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond.   A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for February 1^st, 2012 at 8:00 a.m..

Haley N. Jones, 18, Buckland, Ohio entered a plea of guilty to a charge of Breaking and Entering a felony of the fifth degree.  Jones is also being held in Allen  and Auglaize Counties on similar charges.   

According to a Van Wert County Sheriff’s Department investigation Jones along with others were responsible for breaking in a Venedocia business on July 6^th of this past year. 

Judge Steele ordered a presentence investigation and scheduled sentencing for February 8^th, 2012 at 9:00 a.m..

Cory T. Salisbury, 30, Rockford, Ohio was placed on one year of community control on a charge of Theft a misdemeanor of the first degree.

Salisbury was arrested as a result of a Van Wert City Police Department investigation into the theft of beer and other items from the Century Bar in November of 2011. 

Salisbury was ordered to pay all costs associated with his case and was placed on 30 days of electronic monitored house arrest. 

Benjamin Williams, Jr.,  33, Convoy, Ohio was placed on three years of community control on a charge of Trafficking in Marijuana a felony of the fifth degree.

                                                                                                Page #3

Williams was arrested after an investigation into his activities was conducted by the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Department in the fall of 2011. 

Judge Steele ordered that Williams immediately spend 30 days in the Van Wert County Jail and pay all costs associated with his case.

Shannon Hartman, Van Wert, Ohio appeared on a violation of her bond conditions, apparently she had been in a vehicle that was involved in the sale of drugs and was later found at the Jobs and Family Service Building with some of the marked money used in the purchase of drugs.  

Judge Steele ordered Hartman held on a cash bond with a pretrial hearing scheduled for February 1^st, 2012.

Michelle S. Densel, Van Wert, Ohio was sentenced to one year of community control on  a charge of Theft a misdemeanor of the first degree.    He was ordered to make restitution to the victim and also pay all costs associated with her case.

Judge Steele gave her a 180 day jail sentence and a $1000 fine but deferred the imposition of the jail sentence and fine pending the successfully completion of community control.

Jerry A. Dominique, 43, Van Wert, Ohio appeared on a violation of his community control sanctions. 

Dominique denied the violations with the case being set for a hearing at a later date.

                                                                                                Page #4                      

Dominic Eddins, 32, Van Wert, Ohio was sentenced to two twelve month prison  sentences on two counts of Attempted Burglary.  

According to a Van Wert City Police Department investigation Eddins allegedly broke into two separate homes in late of October of 2011.

Judge Steele will recommend  that Eddins be placed in the Intensive Prison Program and gave Eddins credit for 88 days he had served awaiting final disposition of his case.

Andrew D. Snyder, Rockford, Ohio was arraigned entering a not guilty plea to an indictment charging his with Theft a felony of the fifth degree.

Snyder was released on a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond and ordered to stay out of all Walmart Stores.   A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for February 8^th, 2012 at 8:00 a.m..

Damien J. Smith, entered a plea of not guilty to Theft a felony of the fifth degree.   Smith was released on a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond and ordered not to enter any Walmart store.  

A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for February 8^th, 2012 at 8:00 a.m..

Larry R. Brown, 63, Delphos, Ohio entered a guilty plea to a charge of Assaulting a Police Officer a felony of the fourth degree. 

Brown allegedly assaulted Sgt. Ryan Kimmet of the Delphos Police Department in September of 2011. 

Judge Steele ordered a presentence investigation and scheduled sentencing March 7^th, 2012 at 9:00 a.m.