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August 2008 |
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Teen gets five years for local burglaries |
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Tuesday, November 27 2007 |
By TJ HEMLINGER
Staff writer
A 19-year-old Columbia City man received a five-year jail sentence on work release for his part in burglaries of Hammond Oil and Village Cleaners.
Brandon S. Moore also will spend an extra year in jail for violating his probation for an earlier offense.
Moore and Steven K. Erickson and Ashley D. Goldwood broke into Hammond Oil on July 22, and Moore and Kameron Downs also broke into Village Cleaners the same night.
Moore’s attorney, David Zent, told the court, “It’s a shame such a senseless crime should make such a large change in his life. He needed money for drugs. He did turn himself in, and (the court should also consider) his young age and the fact that he has a young daughter.”
Prosecutor Matt Rentschler said, “I agree, this was very senseless. He had more to lose (than the others) because he was on probation. He had a chance to prove himself, and he failed miserably.”
Moore apologized to the court in his turn.
Judge James Heuer said, “This was an action which never should have occurred. I’m giving you an opportunity to right this wrong by giving you work release. If you do well, I may consider sentence modification.”
Moore must also pay $767 in restitution.
In other cases:
• Franklin T. McGuire, 25, of Claypool, received a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to two charges of burglary, both class C felonies, and one count of attempting to commit burglary, another class C felony.
He and two other men were charged with the Sept. 10 break-ins at Riverside Cafe and Crossroads Inn and an attempted break-in at the Larwill Deli.
His attorney, Brad Voelz, acknowledged that McGuire had failed to pay fines and court costs for a prior offense. “He understands he has a drug addiction that needs to be addressed. It has dominated his life the last six months or so. He has taken responsibility, and he had a very difficult childhood.”
Rentschler said, “Mr. McGuire chose to engage in criminal activity. It’s hard to call six burglaries or attempted burglaries anything but a crime spree. He plainly needs to spend time” having his life monitored.
Heuer, in sentencing McGuire, told him, “You have no idea how these people feel.”
Heuer cited McGuire’s prior criminal history and his violation of a previous probation in sentencing him.
• Lee A. Brown, 28, of Columbia City, pleaded guilty to selling psilocybin mushrooms (a schedule I controlled substance) and two possession of marijuana and two possession of paraphernalia charges and will receive a minimum of six years in prison due to previous convictions.
In return for the guilty plea, the state dropped charges of being a habitual offender. He will be sentenced Jan. 28, 2008.
• Bradley E. Ledgerwood, 18, of Fort Wayne, pleaded guilty to dealing in a schedule II controlled substance (hydrocodone), dealing in more than 30 grams of marijuana (52 grams, a class D felony) and another charge of dealing in marijuana (a class A misdemeanor).
As part of a plea agreement, any sentences will run concurrently.
• Lorraine K. Marshall, 45, of Fort Wayne, was ordered to pay $10 a week to finish off $337 she has remaining from an original sum of $2,697 she was ordered to pay in January 2003.
• Charles E. Norris, 24, of Leesburg, had his bond reduced from $50,000 to $20,000. He faces charges of dealing in a controlled substance (hydrocodone), a class B felony; dealing in a legend drug (cyclobenzaprine), a class D felony; and unlawful possession of a legend drug, also a class D felony. He told the court he was going to live with his mother and three sisters.
• Two men, Shawn C. Snyder, 33, of Cromwell, and Dustin B. Riemersma, 30, of Warsaw, agreed to enter the pre-trial diversion program rather than face check deception charges.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, November 28 2007 )
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