Man gets prison on sex offender violation

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Nine people appeared in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday, with six of those sentenced on a variety of charges.

Aron Lichtenberger, 37, of Lima, was sentenced to 11 months in prison on a charge of attempted failure to register as a sex offender, a felony of the fourth degree. Judge Martin Burchfield gave Lichtenberger 32 days credit for time already served.

The Lima man was classified as a Tier 2 sex offender who must register with the sheriff’s office every 180 days for 25 years.

Dustin Garrett, 32, of Grover Hill, was sentenced to five years of community control on eight sex-related charges. Garrett must also complete all programs ordered by Judge Burchfield and the probation department, including a psycho-sexual assessment and related treatment. He must also not use the Internet without permission of his probation officer, and agree to have his computer searched by the probation department or a designee. He was also classified as a Tier 2 sex offender, and must also comply with the above requirements.

Candice Huffman, 30, of Van Wert, was given five years of community control on one count each of trespass in a habitation, a fourth-degree felony, and attempted deception to obtain a dangerous drug, a felony of the fifth degree. As part of her probation, she must spend up to six months at the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation (WORTH) Center in Lima, and pay $1,000 restitution to a victim in the case.

Tyree Dewitt, 24, of Delphos, was given three years of community control on a charge of breaking and entering, a felony of the fifth degree. He must also serve three days in jail, pay a fine of $200 and court costs, and pay $226 in restitution to the Van Wert County Family YMCA.

Tyler Pessefall, 18, of Van Wert, was given two years of community control on one count each of trespass, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, and criminal damaging, a second-degree misdemeanor. He also must spend seven days in jail, beginning May 25, with work release; undergo a 60-day driver’s license suspension; and pay $1,032 in restitution to a victim in the case.

Aaron Deffenbaugh, 20, of Van Wert, admitted violating his community control program by testing positive for drugs. He was resentenced to five years of community control, with the added stipulation that he spend up to six months in the WORTH Center.

Two people also changed their pleas from not guilty to guilty during hearings held Wednesday.

Ann Radel, 51, of Scott, changed her plea to guilty to a charge of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, a felony of the fourth degree, with a specification that she used a Smith & Wesson 9-mm pistol in the commission of the crime.

She then requested, and was granted, treatment in lieu of conviction and her case stayed until successful completion of a substance abuse treatment program.

Janet St. John, 33, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, changed her plea to guilty to a charge of possession of heroin, a felony of the fifth degree, and operating a vehicle while impaired, a first-degree misdemeanor.

She also requested, and was granted, treatment in lieu of conviction on the felony heroin possession charge, and her case was stayed pending successful completion of a substance abuse treatment program.

She will be sentenced on the OVI charge at 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 13.

Retired Greene County Common Pleas Judge J. Timothy Campbell, who was acting under assignment from the Ohio Supreme Court, presided over a competency hearing Wednesday for Dale Wright Jr.

Wright, 24, of Van Wert, was found competent to stand trial two counts of rape, both felonies of the first degree, and one count of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony offense. The ruling was made after the judge reviewed an evaluation conducted by Court Diagnostics Inc. of Toledo.

Wright is now scheduled for a final pretrial conference on Monday, November 7, with a jury trial to be held Tuesday through Thursday, November 15-17.