MOUNT VERNON — There were 27 people sentenced in Knox County Common Pleas Court in May.
According to court documents, Judge Richard Wetzel ordered the following sentences:
May 7
Cole R. Hauger, Gambier, pleaded guilty to domestic violence (first-degree misdemeanor) and to the amended charge of fourth-degree strangulation. A second-degree felony charge of felonious assault was dismissed.
He was sentenced to serve one year of community control and three days in the Knox County Jail with credit for three days served. He is to submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring, maintain full-time employment, and continue counseling at Behavioral Healthcare Partners.
• Robert K. Edwards, Utica, pleaded guilty to possessing a fentanyl-related compound (fifth-degree felony) and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol (first-degree misdemeanor).
Edwards is to serve a two-year term of community control, three days in jail with credit for days served. He is to submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring, maintain full-time employment, pay a mandatory fine in the amount of $565 on count two. The court suspended his license for two years on count two.
• Haydn M. Rhinebolt, Mount Vernon, pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony.
He is to serve two years of community control and was sentenced to 180 days in jail with credit for 51. the court suspended the jail term provided Rhinebolt enter and complete the River City Correctional Center residential treatment program, submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring, maintain full-time employment, and enter and complete a sex offender class upon release.
Rhinebolt is determined to be a Tier II sex offender registrant.
• Ivorie L. Weller, Fredericktown, pleaded guilty to charges of failure to comply with the order of a police officer (fourth-degree felony) and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol (first-degree misdemeanor).
Weller was sentenced to one year of community control and three days in jail with credit for one day served. She is to submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring, maintain full-time employment, and pay a $565 fine on count two.
Weller’s driver’s license was suspended for three years on count 1, beginning May 7, and one year on count two from Aug. 27, 2025.
• John R. Sheldon, Marengo, to a fifth-degree felony charge of theft. The court sentenced Sheldon to two years of community and 90 days in jail with credit for three served. Jail time is suspended provided the defendant comply with community control, submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring, and maintain full-time employment.
• J. Hunter Moore, Marysville, pleaded guilty to cruelty to a companion animal, a fifth-degree felony. He is to serve one year of monitored time and pay $417.60 in restitution to the Knox County Animal Shelter and $33 to Zach Huston.
Moore is to complete 25 hours of community service within one year and have no jailable offenses for one year.
• Shaun A. Garretson, Gambier, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of failure to comply with the order of a police officer, a fourth-degree felony.
Garretson is to serve two years of community control and 20 in jail with credit for six days. He is to submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring, and maintain full-time employment. The court suspended his driver’s license for a mandatory three years starting from Oct. 22, 2025.
• Austin D. Schnars, Marengo, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of attempted tampering with evidence (a fourth-degree felony) and resisting arrest (a second-degree misdemeanor).
Schnars is to serve a definite prison term of 17 months on the amended charge and 60 days on count two, to be served concurrently. The defendant was given credit for 151 days along with additional days while awaiting transportation to an appropriate institution.
• Jason A. Wood, Mount Vernon, pleaded no contest to a lesser offense of assault, a first-degree misdemeanor. A charge of strangulation was dismissed.
Wood was sentenced to serve two days in the Knox County Jail with credit for two served.
• Russell T. Copeland, Mount Vernon, was sentenced in March to one year of community control on charges of possession of drugs and attempted tampering with evidence.
Judge Richard Wetzel revoked the community control sentence and resentenced Copeland to serve 325 days in jail with credit for 235 days on count one. He also sentenced Copeland to serve 415 days in jail with credit for . Time is to be served concurrently.
• Charges of burglary (third-degree felony) and receiving stolen property (first-degree misdemeanor) were dismissed against Tyler M. Smith, homeless Mount Vernon.
May 14
• Jeremy M. Tice, Columbus, pleaded guilty to two charges of theft, one a first-degree misdemeanor charge of theft and the other a fifth-degree felony.
The court sentenced Tice to one year of community control and one day in jail, with credit for one day served. Tice is to submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring. He is to comply with a residence curfew of the program, DD requirements, and treatment providers, and successfully complete Reach for Tomorrow program.
• Edward L. Horn, Mount Vernon, pleaded guilty to a fifth-degree drug possession charge. The defendant is to serve one year of monitored time and serve six days in jail with credit for six days served.
Horn is to submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, and submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring.
• Carl Lockhart Jr, McKeesport, PA, pleaded guilty to grand theft of a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony. A charge of receiving stolen property was dismissed.
Lockhart was sentenced to a definite prison term of 17 months and given credit for 179 days served along with other days while awaiting transport to an appropriate institution.
• Robert R. Strehle, Columbus, pleaded guilty to improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, a fifth-degree felony, and resisting arrest, a second-degree misdemeanor.
Strehle is to serve one year of community control. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail on count one, with two days credit, and 10 days with credit for two on count two.
Jail time is suspended provided Strehle complies with community control, submits to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, complies with recommended treatment, and submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring. He is also to maintain full-time employment.
• Crystal S. West, Mount Vernon, pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. She was sentenced to two years of community control and 90 days in jail with credit for 21.
West must submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring, and maintain full-time employment.
• Bobby L. Taylor, Centerburg, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of attempted rape, a second-degree felony. A strangulation charge was dismissed.
Taylor was sentenced to serve a mandatory indefinite term in prison, a minimum of seven years to a maximum term of 10.5 years. He was given credit for 291 days served along with future days while awaiting transportation to the appropriate institution. Taylor is determined to be a Tier III sex offender registrant.
• Theodore A. Sears, homeless, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of attempted grand theft, a fourth-degree felony. He was sentenced to serve two years of community control and 180 days in jail with credit for 102.
Sears much also submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring, and maintain full-time employment. He must also undergo and comply with a mental health assessment and treatment plan.
• Jesse J. Ervin, Fredericktown, pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony. A charge of aggravated trafficking and operating a vehicle with a hidden compartment were dismissed.
He also pleaded guilt to a charge of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.
Ervin was sentenced to a definite prison term of 30 months for the drug possession charge and 30 months for tampering with evidence charge. The sentences are to be served consecutively.
He is given credit for 368 days served on the possession charge and 276 days for the tampering with evidence charge. He will also receive credit for additional days while awaiting transport to an appropriate institution.
The court ordered Ervin to forfeit $1,046 in currency to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and pay a mandatory $5,000 fine. The court vacated the fine due to indigency.
• Michael E. Westerheide, Howard, pleaded guilty to disrupting public services (fourth-degree felony) and domestic violence (first-degree misdemeanor). A strangulation charge was dismissed.
Westerheide is to serve two years of community control and 381 days in jail, with credit for 381. He must also submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring, and comply with a mental health treatment plan.
• Michael J. Butcher, Utica, pleaded guilty to one count of drug possession (fifth-degree felony) and a lesser charge of attempted tampering with evidence (fourth-degree felony).
Butcher was sentenced to two years of community control and four days in jail with credit for four days served. He must also submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring, and comply with Knox Recovery treatment plan.
• Anna M. Dye, Mount Gilead, pleaded guilty to handling a firearm in a motor vehicle; operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a first-degree misdemeanor; and resisting arrest, a second-degree misdemeanor.
She was sentenced to two years of community control and 120 days in jail for the firearm count. She received credit for six days served.
Dye was also sentenced to 10 days in jail on count two, with credit for six served, and 10 days in jail on count three, with credit for six served. She will serve the sentences concurrently.
Dye must also submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring, and maintain full-time employment. She must also pay a mandatory $750 fine for count two and lost her driver’s license for three years.
May 28
• Cory L. Crawford, Howard, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony theft and was sentenced to a one-year term of monitored time and 180 days in jail with credit for 47 days.
Crawford must submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring, and maintain full-time employment. He must also pay $1,090.06 to Walmart.
• Jordan T. Posey, Mount Vernon, pleaded guilt to grand theft, a third-degree felony. Charges of theft and theft of drugs were dismissed.
Posey was sentenced to a definite prison term of 15 months, with credit for 116 days along with future days while awaiting transportation.
• Joseph M. Gibson, Mount Vernon, pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of attempted having weapons while under disability, a fourth-degree felony.
He was sentenced to one year of community control and nine days in the Knox County Jail. He was given credit for nine days.
Gibson must submit to an outpatient drug and alcohol assessment, comply with recommended treatment, submit to a term of drug and alcohol use monitoring, and maintain full-time employment. He forfeited a HR .22 caliber revolver to the Mount Vernon Police Department.
• Mendy Jo DeLong, Mount Vernon, was sentenced to one year of community service in October 2024 for possession of drugs. The court revoked that community service and resentenced the defendant to serve 30 days in jail with credit for 16.
• Kieran J. Yoder, Mount Vernon, was convicted and sentenced to two years of community control in January for felony burglary. His 180-day jail term was suspended provided he underwent drug and alcohol assessment and monitoring, maintain full-time employment, and successfully complete the Star Community Based Correctional Facility treatment program.
Judge Wetzel revoked Yoder’s community control sentence and resentenced him to a definite prison term of 18 months with credit for 188 days served along with future days while waiting transportation to an appropriate facility.
