The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

8 enter pleas to grand jury indictments

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A Van Wert woman accused of involvement in a local robbery is one of eight people arraigned Wednesday in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court on indictments handed down by the January session of the county grand jury.

Van Wert County Courthouse. VW independent file photo

Nowelle Finger, 26, entered a not guilty plea to one count of complicity to robbery, a felony of the first degree. Finger was ordered held on a $10,000 cash or commercial surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. Wednesday, January 17.

Eric Bowers, 31, of Van Wert, entered not guilty pleas to two counts of felonious assault, each a felony of the second degree, and one count of domestic violence, a fourth-degree felony. Judge Martin D. Burchfield set a $100,000 cash or commercial surety bond in the case and scheduled a pretrial conference for 8 a.m. January 17.

James Neumeier, 27, of Celina, pleaded not guilty to one count of gross sexual imposition, a felony of the third degree. Neumeier was released on a personal surety bond, but ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim in the case or her family. A pretrial conference was set for 8 a.m. Wednesday, January 24.

Thomas West, 53, of Middle Point, entered a not guilty plea to one count of domestic violence, a felony of the fourth degree. He was released on a surety bond, but was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim in the case. A pretrial conference was scheduled for 8 a.m. Wednesday, January 31.

Kevin Linton, 30, of Convoy, pleaded not guilty to one count of illegal use of food stamp benefits, a fifth-degree felony offense. He was released on a surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. January 24.

Zach Germann, 30, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to one count of possession of LSD, a felony of the fifth degree. He was released on a surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. January 24.

Justin Landis, 23, of New Haven, Indiana, pleaded not guilty to one count of breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony. Landis was released on a surety bond after signing a waiver of extradition, and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. January 24.

William Ramsey, 36, of Woodburn, Indiana, entered a not guilty plea to one count of breaking and entering, a felony of the fifth degree. Ramsey was released on a surety bond after signing a waiver of extradition, and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. January 24.

Also Wednesday, Antin Bartley, 23, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his probation by testing positive for drugs. He was sentenced to 13 months in prison, with credit for 255 days already served.

Two people were also sentenced on Wednesday.

Tawnie Johnson, 28, of Van Wert, was given five years of community control, including up to six months at the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation (WORTH) Center in Lima, on a charge of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. She must also undergo a drug court evaluation and obtain employment as terms of her probation.

James Freeman, 68, of Williamsburg, Kentucky, was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 90 days suspended, on a charge of driving while under suspension, a first-degree misdemeanor offense. Freeman will also have his driver’s license suspended for one year, must not operate any vehicle without a license and insurance, and will get credit for eight days already served.

Jail time will begin at 2 p.m. February 1, unless a $5,000 cash or commercial surety bond is posted for an appeal of the case.

Dwaine Watts, 31, of Ottawa, also signed a waiver of his constitutional right to a speedy trial in open court and requested additional time to prepare his case.

On Tuesday, Elijah Staude, 20, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his probation by not finishing a treatment program at Westwood Behavioral Health Center in Van Wert. He was sentenced to two years of community control under the same conditions as the original sentence, with the addition of a 30-day jail sentence, with credit for 20 days already served.

POSTED: 01/11/18 at 8:47 am. FILED UNDER: News