7 arraigned on grand jury indictments

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Seven people were arraigned on grand jury indictments and a total of 12 people appeared for criminal hearings Wednesday in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Those arraigned on Wednesday include the following:

Jerad Caldwell, 31, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the third degree. He was released on a personal surety bond and scheduled to appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. Wednesday, November 22.

Jeremy Whitaker, 37, of Delphos, entered not guilty pleas to one count each of assault, a felony of the fourth degree; and resisting arrest and obstructing official business, both second-degree misdemeanors. Bond was set at $50,000 cash or commercial surety, and a pretrial conference set for 9 a.m. November 22.

Sonny Metzger, 42, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to one count each of aggravated trafficking in drugs, aggravated possession of drugs, and permitting drug abuse, all felonies of the fifth degree. He was released on a surety bond, with a pretrial set for later Wednesday in conjunction with a previous case.

Amanda Barnes-Hensley, 35, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. She was released on a surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. November 22.

Drew Gaskill, 21, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to one count each of aggravated possession of drugs and possession of cocaine, both fifth-degree felony offenses. He was released on a surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. Wednesday, November 29.

Tera Hernandez, 38, of Ohio City, entered not guilty pleas to one count each of possession of cocaine, a felony of the fifth degree, and driving under a license suspension, a first-degree misdemeanor. She was released on a surety bond, with the additional condition she not operate vehicles of any kind. A pretrial conference was scheduled for 8 a.m. November 29.

Donald James Smith, 39, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to one count of possession of marijuana, a felony of the fifth degree. He was released on a surety bond, with the condition he not operate any vehicle.  He will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. November 29.

Also Wednesday, Kessa Eddins, 33, of Van Wert, changed her plea to guilty to one count each of possession of cocaine and possession of heroin, both fifth-degree felonies. She then requested, and was granted, treatment in lieu of conviction and her case was stayed until she successfully completes a substance abuse treatment program.

Three people also appeared in court on probation violations.

Bobbie Burnett, 23, of Van Wert, denied violating his probation and a hearing was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, November 16.

Paul Bakle, 34, of Van Wert, admitted violating his probation by failing a drug test and failing to complete substance abuse treatment at Westwood Behavioral Health Center in Van Wert. He was sentenced to 243 days in jail, with credit for 198 days already served.

Andrew Thomas, 36, of Ohio City, admitted to violating his probation by using cocaine. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with credit given for 97 days already served.