TO:  LOCAL NEWS MEDIA  

FROM:  VAN WERT COUNTY COMMON PLEAS COURT  

DATE:  Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Re:   Criminal Hearings

 

 

Three individuals were arraigned Wednesday before Judge Charles D. Steele and entered not guilty pleas to the indictments charging them with a variety of charges.

 

Steven Diltz, 23, Delphos, Ohio entered a not guilty plea to an indictment charging him with one count of Possession of Drugs a felony of the fifth degree.

 

Diltz was arrested as the result of a traffic stop made by the Van Wert City Police Department on September 29th, 2007.  Allegedly Diltz possessed morphine at the time of the traffic stop.

 

Diltz was released on a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond with a pretrial hearing scheduled for December 26th, 2007 at 8:00 a.m..

 

 

Robert L. Ferdinandsen, 48, Fostoria, Ohio entered a not guilty plea to a two count indictment charging him with Attempted Breaking and Entering and Possession of Criminal Tools. 

 

Ferdinandsen originally was indicted in November 2006 for an incident that took place in June of 2006.  A Van Wert City Police Department investigation alleges that Ferdinandsen attempted to break into the Partee Shop in Van Wert.

 

Ferdinandsen was ordered held on a $25,000 cash bond along with a $5,000 unsecured personal bond with a pretrial hearing to be held on December 26th, 2007 at 8:00 a.m..  

                                                                                               

 

Jason Lamb, 25, Van Wert, Ohio entered a not guilty plea to an indictment charging him with one count of Possession of Drugs.

 

According to a Van Wert City Police Department investigation Lamb possessed cocaine during a traffic stop made by the police department.

 

Lamb was released on a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond with a pretrial hearing scheduled for December 26th, 2007 at 8:00 a.m..

 

 

CHANGE OF PLEA HEARINGS:

 

Kati Jo Neal, 20, Ft. Wayne, Indiana entered a guilty plea to a charge of Identity Fraud a felony of the fourth degree. 

 

According to a Van Wert City Police Department investigation Neal allegedly used the identity of another to purchase a computer from the Wal Mart Store in November of 2005.

 

Judge Steele ordered a presentence investigation and scheduled sentencing for January 30th, 2008 at 9:00 a.m..

 

 

Robert J. Hartman, 18, Ohio City, Ohio entered a guilty plea to a charge of Breaking and Entering a felony of the fifth degree.

 

According to a Convoy Police Department investigation Hartman allegedly broke into the Edgewater Park concession stand in September of this year.

 

Judge Steele ordered a presentence investigation and scheduled sentencing for January 30th, 2008 at 9:00 p.m..  

 

                                                                                     

Donna Fennig, Van Wert, Ohio entered a guilty plea to a charge of Non Support Of Dependents a felony of the fifth degree.

 

Fenning entered the plea of guilty to the charge and then was placed on a diversion program where if she successfully completes the program the charge will be dismissed.

 

Fenning will be on the diversion program for a period of one year.

 

 

SENTENCING HEARINGS

 

Bradley Smith, 30, Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to three consecutive nine month prison sentences on three separate fifth degree counts of Theft.

 

According to a Van Wert City Police Department Smith was allegedly obtain tools from a local company and was charging the tools to a former employer’s account.  Smith allegedly then was selling the tools for cash.

 

Judge Steele noted for the record that Smith had a very lengthy criminal record that dated back to 1995 before sentencing him to serve the prison sentence.

  

Helen Ann Campbell, 46, Levering, Michigan, was placed on three years of community control on a charge of Medicaid Fraud a fourth degree felony.

 

Allegedly Campbell was receiving reimbursements for medical treatments illegally during the year of 2004.  

 

Campbell made full restitution in the amount of $15,000 prior to the sentencing hearing.   

                                                                                   

 

Chad Fowler, 19, Ohio City, Ohio was sentenced to a seventeen month prison sentence for violating his community control program.

 

According to the Van Wert Adult Probation Department he violated the terms of his community control by being terminated by the WORTH Center for not complying with the program.

 

Fowler had originally been sentenced to a seventeen month prison term in October of this year which was deferred pending the successful completion of the community control program. 

 

Judge Steele gave Fowler credit for 133 day which he had served in jail while awaiting final disposition of his case.