TO:   LOCAL NEWS MEDIA

FROM:   VAN WERT COUNTY COMMON PLEAS COURT

DATE:    Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Re:  Criminal Hearings

            Eight individuals appeared and entered not guilty pleas to indictments handed down by the Van Wert County Grand Jury which met last Friday.

            Allen L. Whittington, 53, Van Wert, Ohio entered a not guilty plea to a charge of Gross Sexual Imposition a felony of fourth degree.

            Judge Steele released Whittington on a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond with a pretrial hearing scheduled for June 25^th, 2008 at 8:00 a.m..

            Zachary S. Craig, 28, Van Wert, Ohio entered a not guilty plea to an indictment charging him with one count of Domestic Violence a felony of the third degree and one count of Burglary a felony of the fourth degree.

            Craig had posted a $10,000 cash bond and also had a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond set with conditions that he not have any contact with his father and stepmother alleged victims in the case.    A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for July 2^nd, 2008 at 8:00 a.m.

            Paul Rigney, 31, Van Wert, Ohio entered a not guilty plea to an indictment  charging him with Obstructing Official Business a felony of the fifth degree.

            Rigney was ordered held on a $30,000  cash bond with a ten percent privilege along with a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond.  The prosecutor’s office advised that Rigney also had a holder for a probation violation in the State of Tennessee.   A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for July 2^nd, 2008 at 8:00 a.m..

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            Jeremy Workman, 27, Van Wert, Ohio entered a not guilty plea to an indictment charging him with of Theft a felony of the fifth degree. 

            Workman was released on a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond with a pretrial hearing scheduled for June 25^th, 2008 at 8:00 a.m.

            Justin Snyder, 28, Van Wert, Ohio entered a not guilty plea to an indictment charging him with Robbery a felony of the third degree.

            Snyder had a pretrial hearing which was scheduled for Wednesday at 10:30 a.m..   Snyder was ordered held on a $5,000 cash bond along with a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond.

            Rebecca Rager, 50, Van Wert, Ohio entered a not guilty plea to an indictment charging her with two counts of Theft of Drugs both counts are felonies of the fourth degree.

            Rager was released on a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond with a pretrial hearing scheduled for June 25^th, 2008 at 8:00 a.m..

            Rebecca Sturwold, 27, Van Wert, Ohio entered a not guilty plea to an indictment charging her with one count of Possession of Drugs a felony of the fifth degree. 

            Sturwold was released on a $5,000 unsecured personal surety bond with a pretrial hearing scheduled for July 9^th, 2008 at 8:00 a.m..

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            Jonathan Howeden, 20, Van Wert, Ohio entered a guilty plea to a Bill of Information charging him with Possession of Drugs a misdemeanor of the third degree.

            A presentence investigation was ordered with sentencing scheduled for July  9^th, 2008 at 9:00 a.m..

SENTENCING HEARINGS

            Robert Gilbert, 34, Fort Wayne, Indiana was placed on three years of community control and given a six month sentence to the WORTH Center in Lima, Ohio.     

            While on community control will have 30 days of additional jail to be served at a time designated by his supervision officer, perform 200 hours of community service, make restitution of $1002.00 to Walmart and complete two years of intensive supervision.  Judge Steele ordered that Gilbert was not to enter any Walmart Store. 

            According to a Van Wert City Police Department investigation it was determined that Gilbert was responsible for a theft of a computer from the Walmart Super Center. 

            Gilert’s attorney, William Kluge of Lima had told the court that Gilbert allegedly stole the computer and then sold it on the street in Fort Wayne, Indiana for drugs.  Mr. Kluge told Judge Steele that Gilbert’s drug problems were the cause of his other problems and felt a rehabilitation program such as the WORTH Center might help his client bring the drug problem under control.

            Sunsee L. Wiley, 36, Columbus, Ohio was given a basic prison term of twelve months for charges of Identity Fraud and Forgery.  The prison terms are to run concurrently with each other and also concurrently with prison terms that had been given to her in Mercer County Common Pleas Court for similar offenses.

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            According to a Van Wert City Police Department investigation Wiley allegedly used the identity of another person and passed a forged check at a local business for the amount of $377.81 for which she was ordered to make restitution for.

            Heidi Kathleen Sill, 18, Van Wert, Ohio appeared on a affidavit filed by the Van Wert County Adult Probation Department on allegations that she had violated the terms of her Treatment In Lieu Of Conviction program.  

            The supervision officer alleged that Sill was using drugs and not appearing for her counseling sessions as ordered

            Judge Steele set a bond of $10,000 cash and continued the case for further proceedings at a later date.