City woman gets prison term in CP Court

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A Van Wert woman sentenced to prison for attempting to bring a prohibited substance into a correctional facility was one of 12 people appearing in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court for felony hearings this week.

Amber Baker, 28, was sentenced to 17 months in prison on a charge of attempted conveyance of a prohibited substance into a correctional facility, a fourth-degree felony offense, and 12 months on a count of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. The two sentences are to run concurrent to one another, while Baker was also given credit for 94 days already served.

Five people entered changes of plea during hearings in Common Pleas Court.

Anthony Bonifas, 20, of Delphos, changed his plea to guilty to a charge of domestic violence, a misdemeanor of the first degree, reduced by the prosecutor’s office from a felony of the fourth degree. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, December 12.

Johnny Bowersock, 54, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to a charge of domestic violence, a felony of the fourth degree. A presentence investigation was also ordered in his case, with sentencing to be held at 9 a.m. December 12.

Robert Stegaman, 44, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to domestic violence, downgraded from a felony of the fourth degree to a misdemeanor of the first degree. A presentence investigation was ordered at 9 a.m. December 12.

Christopher Stemen, 34, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to one count each of charge of failure to register as a sex offender and grand theft of a motor vehicle, each a felony of the fourth degree. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, December 19.

Joshua McGinnis, 37, of Convoy, changed his plea to guilty to one count each of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a felony of the second degree, and failure to register as a sex offender, a third-degree felony. Judge Martin D. Burchfield ordered a presentence investigation and set sentencing for 9 a.m. December 12.

Bond and probation violation hearings were also held for three people in Common Pleas Court.

Sybron Pinkston, 29, of Lima, admitted to violating his bond by failing to appear at court hearings and failing to report to probation. He was re-released on an unsecured personal surety bond, but must report to probation twice a week, as well as to the Van Wert Police Department for processing.

Tawnie Johnson, 29, of Van Wert, admitted to violating her probation by failing drug tests and failing to report to probation. However, Johnson has served her entire sentence while awaiting a court hearing and was terminated unsuccessfully from her term of probation and also released from custody.

Ecco Burker, 33, of Van Wert, admitted to violating her probation by refusing to enter the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation (WORTH) Center in Lima. She was sentenced to 360 days in jail, with credit for 46 days already served.

Three people also waived their constitutional right to a speedy trial and were granted requests for additional time to prepare their cases.

Caleb Phillips, 18, of Van Wert, signed a time waiver in open court. A pretrial hearing was scheduled for 9 a.m. December 12.

Bradley Sheets, 36, of Convoy, also signed a time waiver in court and was given more time to prepare his case. A pretrial conference was set for 9 a.m. December 12.

Kayla Lee, 31, of Van Wert, signed a time waiver in court and will appear for a pretrial conference at 9 a.m. December 19.