Mount Vernon man gets decades-long sentence for drug and minor-related crimes

MOUNT VERNON — The Knox County Common Pleas Court sentenced Aaron K. Eldridge, 66, of Mount Vernon, to serve several consecutive sentences that could mean a prison term of 28 to 33.5 years for illegal drug and minor-related charges that range in severity.

Below are two lists, one shows the charges the court convicted Eldridge of with the corresponding sentences, and one shows Eldridge’s charges that were dismissed.

Eldridge’s charges

Convicted charges:

— Trafficking in cocaine, first-degree felony: Mandatory indefinite term of imprisonment with a minimum term of 11 years to a maximum term of 16.5 years.

— Major drug offender specification to the trafficking in cocaine charge; this charge’s severity is not listed.

— Firearm specification, a felony: Mandatory one-year term, and is a specification to the cocaine trafficking charge. While Eldridge will serve all terms consecutively, he will serve this term before the indefinite term for trafficking in cocaine.

— Two forfeiture specifications, both listed as felonies: Both of these pertain to the trafficking in cocaine charge, more information on this below.

— Counts three, five and six: Illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance, second-degree felonies. The court handed Eldridge three indefinite terms of imprisonment, each with a minimum term of four years to a maximum term of six years.

— Count four: Illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance, second-degree felony. Even though this is the same charge as counts three, five and six, the court issued an indefinite term of imprisonment of six years for count four.

Dismissed charges:

— Having weapons while under disability, third-degree felony.

— Forfeiture specification to the having weapons under disability charge, a felony.

— 16 illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance charges, all second-degree felonies.

The defendant received credit for 260 days served towards his sentence along with future days while awaiting transportation to the appropriate institution.

The court also ordered Eldridge to forfeit $10,890 in U.S. currency and silver coins to the Mount Vernon Police Department and assessed a $10,000 fine for the trafficking in cocaine charge.

Finally, the court determined Eldridge to be a Tier II sex offender/child victim offender registrant.

Below is a list of the nine other criminal court cases that resulted in a sentence in the Knox County Common Pleas Court in November 2025.

Nov. 6

— Micah S. Knipp, of Mount Vernon, was sentenced to serve a definite term of imprisonment of 17 months for a fourth-degree felony grand theft of a motor vehicle charge.

The defendant will serve this sentence consecutively with another 30-month definite term of imprisonment for a third-degree felony, illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of an institution or detention facility charge.

Combining language from both sentences, the court credited Knipp with 175 days served, along with future days while awaiting transportation to the appropriate institution.

Knipp must also pay $899.54 in restitution to an alleged victim, according to the court’s online records for his grand theft of a motor vehicle case.

— Joshua C. Devore, of Newark, was sentenced to serve a definite term of imprisonment of 11 months for a fourth-degree felony operating a vehicle with a hidden compartment used charge.

Judge Richard Wetzel granted Joshua C. Devore credit for 44 days served and future days while awaiting transportation to the appropriate facility.

Nov. 13

— Larry J. White Jr, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve a one-year term of community control and 180 days in Knox County jail for a fifth-degree felony theft charge.

The court credited White with 66 days served, and the defendant must submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring.

— Nickolas L. Porter, of Newark, was sentenced to serve 11 months for a fifth-degree felony theft charge.

Porter received credit for three days served towards his sentence and future days while awaiting transportation to the appropriate facility.

Additionally, the court ordered Porter to pay $1,220.49 in restitution to Lowe’s loss prevention.

— Darren K. Moore, of Mount Vernon, was sentenced to serve a two-year term of community control and three days in Knox County jail for a fifth-degree felony possession of drugs charge and a first-degree misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charge.

The court credited Moore with two days served towards his jail time.

Moore is also subject to a mandatory one-year operator’s license suspension, which began on Nov. 13, 2025, and must pay a mandatory fine of $565.

— Travis D. Losinger, of Walhonding, was sentenced to serve a two-year term of community control and 11 days in Knox County jail for a fifth-degree felony strangulation charge.

The court granted Losinger 11 days served towards his sentence. Losinger must also submit to a term of drug/alcohol use monitoring.

— Dominic A. McDonald, of Mount Vernon, was sentenced to serve a minimum of seven years to a maximum of 10.5 years for a second-degree felony burglary charge.

McDonald received 231 days served towards his sentence, along with future days while awaiting transportation to the appropriate institution.

— Jayden T. Dewyze, of Mansfield, was sentenced to serve a two-year term of community control and 180 days in Knox County jail for a fourth-degree felony receiving stolen property charge.

The court credited Dewyze with 29 days served towards his sentence.

Additionally, the defendant must submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment and submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring.