Haviland man given prison sentence

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A Haviland man was sentenced to a year in prison during hearings conducted this week in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Jerry Dominique, 49, was given 12 months in prison on a charge of trafficking in drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. Dominique, who has a long history of drug-related charges, was also given one day credit by retired Common Pleas Judge Charles Steele, who was hearing cases Tuesday as a visiting judge.

Other cases heard by Judge Steele include the following:

Lewis Buckner Sr., 57, of Van Wert, admitted violating his personal surety bond by testing positive for alcohol and being arrested for operating a vehicle while impaired (OVI). His bond was revoked and he was ordered held in jail until a sentencing hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, February 2.

William Crutchfield, 42, of Van Wert, was granted early release from prison on his original charge of felonious assault. He was placed on community control for three years and must spend up to six months at the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation (WORTH) Center in Lima as part of his probation.

Tawnie Johnson, 25, of Van Wert, changed her plea to guilty to a charge of trafficking in drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. She then requested, and was granted, treatment in lieu of conviction and will undergo an approved substance abuse treatment program.

Wayne Toth, 51, of Elyria, changed his plea to guilty to a charge of attempted grand theft, a fifth-degree felony, reduced from a felony of the fourth degree as part of a plea negotiation.

A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing scheduled for 9 a.m. February 2.

On Wednesday, Van Wert County Probate-Juvenile Judge Kevin Taylor heard two cases.

Jill Diller, 40, of Van Wert, changed her plea to guilty on one count each of trafficking in a counterfeit controlled substance, a fifth-degree felony, and aggravated trafficking in drugs in the vicinity of a juvenile, a felony of the fourth degree. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, February 18.

Roger Hibbard, 38, of Paulding, changed his plea to two counts of telecommunications harassment, each a felony of the fifth degree. A presentence investigation was ordered in the case and sentencing scheduled for 9 a.m. February 18.