VW man pleads to assaulting jail worker

Van Wert independent news

A man who assaulted a corrections officer at the county jail has changed his plea to guilty to related charges during a hearing Wednesday in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Robert Galloway Jr., 33, of Van Wert, entered guilty pleas to one count each of felonious assault, a felony of the second degree; harassment by bodily substance, a third-degree felony; and assault, a felony of the fifth degree. A charge of attempted murder, a felony of the first degree, was dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea to the other three charges.

The bodily substance charge refers to Galloway throwing urine at corrections officers who were trying to subdue him.

Judge Martin D. Burchfield ordered a presentence investigation in the case and scheduled sentencing for 8 a.m. Monday, April 10.

Eric Kangas, 40, of Delphos, also changed his plea to guilty to one count each of escape, a felony of the second degree, and domestic violence, a fourth-degree felony offense. A charge of felonious assault was dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea to the other two charges.

Judge Burchfield ordered a presentence investigation and Kangas will appear for sentencing at 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 12.

Also Wednesday, Alvaro Moreno, 25, of Delta, entered a not guilty plea to a charge of theft, a fifth-degree felony offense, during an arraignment hearing on Wednesday. Judge Burchfield set a $10,000 cash or commercial surety bond in the case and scheduled a pretrial conference for 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 15.

Jeremy Whitaker, 37, of Delphos, was sentenced to 12 months in prison after he admitted to violating his probation by being in possession of cocaine. Judge Burchfield gave him credit for 286 days already served and ordered that he serve the remaining 74 days in the Van Wert County Correctional Facility.