VW man gets prison, 6 appear in CP Court

Van Wert independent news

Three sentencing hearings were on the docket for Wednesday’s session of Van Wert County Common Pleas Court, with a total of six people appearing in court that day on criminal charges.

Ronald Cobb, 25, of Van Wert, was sentenced to 12 months in prison on a charge of importuning, a felony of the fifth degree. The sentence will run consecutively to a 12-month prison term he is currently serving.

Judge Martin Burchfield also classified Cobb as a Tier 1 sex offender, which means he must register annually for the next 15 years.

Zachariah Germann, 28, of Van Wert, was given five years of community control on a charge of trafficking in heroin, a felony of the fifth degree. He must also participate in drug court, if eligible, and will had his driver’s license suspended for six months.

Phillip L. Cross, 27, of Delphos, was sentenced to five years of community control on a charge of possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony offense. Judge Burchfield also ordered Cross to serve 15 days in jail now, and suspended his driver’s license for six months.

Two people also changed their pleas during hearings Wednesday in Common Pleas Court.

Tyree Dewitt, 24, of Delphos, changed his plea to guilty to a charge of breaking and entering, a felony of the fifth degree. Dewitt then requested, and was granted, treatment in lieu of conviction and his case was staying pending successful completion of a substance abuse treatment program.

Candice Huffman, 30, of Van Wert, pleaded guilty to a prosecutor’s bill of information charging her will trespass in a habitation, a fourth-degree felony offense. She also requested, and was granted, treatment in lieu of conviction, but must also make restitution in the amount of $1,000 to Francis Wood.

Joshua Sargent, 34, of Van Wert, appeared before County Probate-Juvenile Court Judge Kevin Taylor on a charge of probation violation.

Sargent admitted to violating his probation by being convicted of domestic violence while on probation. No action was taken at that time, but Judge Taylor took the case under advisement.