Repeat offender has ‘potential to be a productive citizen’

By Cornelia Grace Harrison News-Herald Reporter

CADIZ — Nikita

Bowen was originally charged with a felony in the second-degree possession of cocaine.

This was eventually amended to a felony in the third degree. She was sentenced to 30 months in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections with the possibility of judicial release after 12 months. She was not given a fine.

Judge T. Shawn Hervey said he wasn’t going to make a long speech, “I think you know what got you here, and you know what decisions you made. You got a pretty generous break from the prosecutor to not have a felony in the second degree, where you could have gotten up to eight years in prison.

... Do your time; if you get judicial release, learn something, and don’t repeat your mistakes.”

Kimberly Ruckman was last seen by the courts at the end of March when the state made a motion for resentencing because Ruckman did not show up to the Eastern Ohio Correctional Center on her bed date. The state withdrew its previous motion, preferring to move forward on the motion to revoke community-based controls.

For now, Hervey explained that Ruck - week man could face part of her reserved prison sentence in this matter, and will need to apply for appointed counsel, which she had previously, but ended when she was sentenced before. Her bond remained the same.

Ashley Ginet appeared for arraignment via video call from the Mahoning County Jail. Ginet was indicted on two charges: aggravated possession of drugs, a felony in the fifth degree, and possession of drugs, a first-degree misdemeanor. Ginet will need to fill out a form to see if she qualifies for appointed counsel. In the meantime, the court put in a plea of not guilty on her behalf. The next item to be addressed was bond. The court hears first from the prosecutor, then from the defendant with that caveat for the defendant to not speak about anything else in the case as the state can use any revealed information against her.

The state said it would

CIVIL CREDIT NEWS

● March 27 (judgement date): Plaintiff Cavalry S.P.V. I, LLC; Defendant Panela Wood. Cause of action: Money. For: In favor of plaintiff.

● March 27 (satisifed date): Plaintiff LVNV Funding LLC; Defendant Lisa Guy. Cause of action: Money. Remarks: Dismissal without prejudice.

● March 27 (satisfied date): Plaintiff LVNV Funding LLC; Defendant Duane Sharp. Cause of action: Money. Remarks: Dismissal without prejudice.

● March 27 (satisfied date): Plaintiff CKS Prime Investments, LLC; Defendant Crystal Wilson. Cause of action: Money. Remarks: Dismissal without prejudice.

● March 27 (satisfied date): Plaintiff CKS Prime Investments, LLC; Defendant Deborah Smith. Cause of action: Money. Remarks: Dismissal without prejudice.

● March 27 (satisfied date): Plaintiff Wesley Neal; Defendant Melinda Mansfield. Cause of action: Eviction/Rent. For: In favor of plaintiff.

● March 27 (satisfied date): Plaintiff Midland Credit Management Inc; Defendant Tanner Lundberg. Cause of action: Money. Remarks: Dismissal without prejudice.

● March 27 (satisfied date): Plaintiff Midland

Credit Management Inc; Defendant Austin Schurr. Cause of action: Money. Remarks: Dismissal without prejudice.

● March 27 (satisfied date): Plaintiff be satisfied with an own recognizance bond as Ginet does not have any prior convictions on her record. The state did stipulate that Ginet should be put on the pre-trial release program, which requires defendants to regularly check in with the probation office between court dates. Ginet may be a good candidate for the intervention in lieu of conviction program

67-year-old Terrence McKeever entered a plea of guilty to two counts of OVI and one count of driving under suspension. The recommended sentence was 180 days of prison that can be served at EOCC. The state immediately brought up that McKeever would have too much credit for time served.

“In order to complete the program at EOCC,” Hervey said. “You have to be there for a minimum amount of time. … I have to make sure you get your prison time done and you complete the program at EOCC.

In order to do that, the sentence is going to be 240 days.”

McKeever’s lawyer explained the situation again and McKeever said he understood. In addition to completing the program at EOCC, McKeever will pay a $1,350 fine, his vehicle will be forfeited, and his license will be suspended for the rest of his life.

Isaiah Cowans is eligible for the treatment in lieu of conviction program. Cowans was charged with possession of cocaine, a felony in the fifth degree.

“The report indicates he is a drug-dependent person,” Hervey said. “And that drug dependency lead to his current charges, and treatment will reduce the likelihood of recidivism.”

Cowans was placed in the treatment program for one year and he will be expected to do 40 hours of community service. Cowans, who is from Cleveland, hopes to be able to transfer his

● March 13 (file date): Velocity Investments LLC VS. Corey Smith. Action: Other civil.

DOMESTIC CASES

● March 15 (file date): case to his own county soon. It’s not uncommon for defendants on the treatment program to be able to work with their own local probation office and counselors.

Hervey left him with a short, “The ball’s in your court, Mr. Cowans. If you can stay clean and sober, stay out of trouble, then you’re done. If you mess up, you could have your sanctions modified, spend some time in jail.”

Tad Guzman appeared via video call from the Harrison County Jail. The state filed a motion to revoke Guzman’s community-based controls because Guzman allegedly did not appear for his CBC intake and did not have any contact with the probation office as instructed. Guzman faces possible penalty that would utilize his reserved prison sentence of up to 30 months.

Leander Brooks was sentenced on five drug-related charges. For trafficking in cocaine, he received five years

● David G. Pilcher etux to Daniel Richard Abrams etux, Freeport Village

● Catherine Luther Klug

Dec’d to Mary Catherine Corso etal, Cadiz Village on community-based controls and 80 hours of community service. His four other charges were two counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, one count of aggravated possession of drugs, and one count of possession of cocaine. Sentences on these charges will run concurrently with the five years. He will have a reserved sentence of a collective six-and-a-half years hanging over his head for any violations of his CBC.

Hervey said to Brooks, “I’ve always thought this about you, Mr. Brooks. I think you have the potential to be a productive citizen. Every time you’re incarcerated, I get wonderful reports that you’re no problem, that you’re polite, that you do your work. Every time you’ve been in court, you’ve shown up, you’ve done what we’ve asked you to do. You’ve got to do that out in society now. You gotta stay away from people, places, and things that get you in trouble.”

Jefferson Capital Systems LLC; Defendant Vicky Ramsey. Cause of action: Money. Remarks: Dismissal without prejudice.

● March 27 (satisfied date): Plaintiff Portfolio Recovery Assoc. LLC; Defendant Benjamin Rhodes. Cause of action: Money. Remarks: Dismissal without prejudice.

● March 27 (satisfied date): Plaintiff LVNV Funding LLC; Defendant Holly Reed. Cause of action: Money. Remarks: Dismissal without prejudice.

● March 27 (satisfied date): Plaintiff Portfolio Recovery Assoc. LLC; Defendant David Keener. Cause of action: Money. Remarks: Dismissal without prejudice.

● March 27 (satisfied date): Plaintiff Midland Credit Management Inc.; Defendant Ashley Allan. Cause of action: Money.

Remarks: Dismissal without prejudice.

● March 27 (satisfied date): Plaintiff LVNV Funding LLC; Defendant Mark Grant. Cause of action: Money. Remarks: Dismissal without prejudice.

● March 27 (judgment date): Plaintiff Midland

Credit Managment Inc; Defendant Christopher Ott. Cause of action: Money. For: In favor of plaintiff.

CIVIL CASES

Plaintiff Brooklynn Mcafee. Defendant Christopher Mcafee. Action: Dissolution with children.

● March 20 (file date): Plaintiff Courtney Boyd. Defendant Donald Boyd. Action: Dissolution with children.

● March 15 (file date): Plaintiff John Wendt. Defendant Heather Wendt. Action: Dissolution without children.

RECORDER

March 27-31, 2023

● John Capers Sr Dec’d to Brandon Bake, Green Twp.

● Merle R, Foutz Dec’d to Ruby Foutz, Jewett Village

● Rosemary Adams Dec’d to Denise Sue Brooks etal, Cadiz Twp.

● Chris Mazeroski etal to Pneuma Realty LLC, Cadiz Village

● Donald L. Blackburn Dec’d to Ruth A. Blackburn, Jewett Village

● East Ohio District Advisory Board of the Church of the Nazarene to Wellspring Pregnancy Center Inc, Cadiz Village

● Alisa Hamilton Dimmick etal to Tyler S. Rose etal, Jewett Village

● Richard A. Nichols

Dec’d to Cheryl L. Huffman, New Athens Village

● Timothy R. Zorn etux to Craig A. Fisher etux, Moorefield Twp.

● Robin Shetler etal to Amie Warner etvir, Bowerston Village

● Rose M. Fithen to Christopher John Demetri Fithen, Georgetown

● Mary Jane Grimm

Dec’d to Mary Jane Negron, Monroe Twp.

● Patricia Ann Engstrom

Dec’d to Richard D. Engstrom Jr, Washington Twp.

SHERIFF’S OFFICE

● March 28 – Parents brought their daughter to the Sheriff’s Office because she was making suicidal comments and being unruly. A deputy spoke with the daughter who said she often thought about hurting herself and that she felt she had many mental health problems. Once she is cleared medically, she will seek a bed date with an inpatient facility.

● March 30 – A deputy was called to County Line Road regarding a theft. A company doing pipeline work in the area reported 90 gallons of off-road diesel was stolen. The company asked for added patrols in the area and will be installing cameras to better monitor their equipment.

● April 3 – A deputy made a welfare check on Jessica Grimes. She was located sitting in a truck her boyfriend was working on at his residence. She seemed reluctant to get out of the truck and reached around in her pockets. When she exited the truck, the deputy explained that someone had called about her welfare. Grimes stated she’d just been having a bad day and that nothing physical had happened. The deputy asked her if she had any weapons and she said no and consented to a pat down. She had a short blue straw with residue inside and a glass jar with a crystal like substance believed to be meth. She also allegedly had a broken glass pipe and a small digital scale. She was booked in and sent to the jail, but was released form custody when no jail wanted to house her.

● April 6 – Deputies arrived at an Adena residence because a woman was banging on her neighbor’s windows and doors with a metal trashcan lid. Upon arrival, deputies saw the woman in the roadway and ordered her to drop the lid. She complied with orders and was taken into custody. She kept talking about men in a field and that she was trying to warn her neighbors about it. The neighbors provided an SD card with security camera footage of the incident. The woman was brought back to the office on several warrants.

Cadiz Police Department

● March 13 – An officer was called to a domestic dispute on Lincoln Avenue. The male caller said he had arrived home to find his bedroom door had been broken into, there was pee on the floor, and the heat on his dryer was turned up. He said he confronted his daughter-in-law about the situation, and when she started yelling, he called the police. The officer went to speak with the other occupants of the house. The male kept yelling up the stairs to ‘correct’ the other’s story and was eventually told to keep quiet, or he would end up in jail. The other occupants said that the male had come home and started yelling and that none of them had broken into the bedroom nor messed with the dryer.