Drug cases again dominate court hearings

BY ED GEBERT
Times Bulletin Editor
egebert@timesbulletin.com

VAN WERT - A Delphos man was sent to prison for a year for trafficking in drugs. Phillip Cross, 23, was sentenced Tuesday to 12 months prison by Van Wert County Common Pleas Court Judge Charles D. Steele. on a charge of drug trafficking, a felony of the fifth degree.
Cross was arrested during a roundup of drug suspects by the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force in March. Cross was granted 32 days credit for time already served in jail awaiting disposition of the case.
Also in court on Tuesday, Jeffrey Garwood, 49, Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty on two counts of trafficking drugs of three charges against him, each a felony of the fourth degree. A third charge of trafficking was dismissed by the state in exchange for his pleas.
Garwood was charged for selling morphine to two separate occasions in August of 2011. He faces up to three years in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 1.
A Van Wert man is facing up to two years in prison on theft and forgery charges. Steven Parsons, Jr. 33, entered guilty pleas to both charges on Tuesday. Both counts contained a specification that he used a 1999 Jeep Cherokee in the commission of the offenses.
He was accused of taking a debit card belonging to another man, and using it to make a purchase by forging the victim's name. Sentencing for Parsons was set for Aug. 1.
Corey Robinson, 33, Van Wert, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of attempted having weapons while under disability, a felony of the fourth degree. Robinson was arrested and charged based on his actions on May 13. He will be sentenced on Aug. 1.
Tina Means, 44, Cincinnati, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted forgery, a misdemeanor of the first degree. She will be sentenced on Aug. 1.
Stephanie Farmer, 31, Van Wert, was sentenced to 60 days of electronically-monitored house arrest and 30 days in jail as a part of three years of community control. Farmer was found to have violated the terms of her probation by being unsuccessfully terminated from the WORTH Center treatment program in Lima. Farmer must also complete a substance abuse treatment program. A two-year prison sentence was deferred pending the successful completion of community control.
Kyle Caldwell, 32, Van Wert, admitted to violating the terms of his probation by consuming alcohol while on electronically-monitored house arrest. Steele resentenced Caldwell to three years of community control with an additional 90-day jail sentence. An 18-month prison term was deferred pending the successful completion of community control.
John McGinnis, 30, Convoy, denied violating the terms of his work release from jail. A hearing will be held on the matter June 25.
Sam Whisman was in court to answer to a bond violation for failing to appear at his pretrial hearing. Whisman was released on bond with electronically-monitored house arrest. His pretrial will be rescheduled.
Three persons were granted treatment in lieu of conviction on Tuesday by Steele. Christopher N. Blue, 29, Van Wert pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony possession of drugs, Keri Hines, 29, Delphos, pleaded guilty to two fifth-degree felony counts of trafficking drugs, and Christopher Longstreth, 37, Paulding pleaded guilty to one count of fifth-degree felony drug possession. The three each have one year to complete treatment. All further proceedings against these three were stayed until successful completion.