Two sent to prison after admitting to thefts

0

Two men were sent to prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to felony charges in Highland County Common Pleas Court.

Jacob C. Bell, 29, Greenfield, was sentenced by Judge Rocky Coss to three years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of burglary, a third-degree felony.

According to a bill of particulars filed in the case, Bell broke into his neighbor’s home on McCoppin Mill Road and took two televisions, an Xbox and two laptops. When his neighbor returned, suspecting Bell had stolen the items, she confronted him and he “got angry and took off in the car,” the bill states.

Bell was later arrested during a traffic stop, and admitted he had stolen and sold the items, according to the bill.

In court Wednesday, Bell and defense attorney Lee Koogler both said it is unlikely the items can be recovered since they had been pawned.

Koogler said Bell stole and sold the items to pay for his drug habit.

“It’s been an ongoing issue for him,” Koogler said.

No restitution was ordered in the case. A second burglary charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement.

Also Wednesday, Gregory Scott Martin, 38, Hillsboro, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of grand theft, a third-degree felony.

According to a bill of particulars filed in the case, Martin allegedly stole two handguns on separate occasions, one from a home where he was doing work for a plumbing company, and another from an acquaintance after they refused to sell it to him.

The bill states Martin sold one of the handguns, and the other was recovered.

Martin was also charged with aggravated possession of methamphetamine after a plastic bag with a crystal substance was found in his vehicle during a traffic stop.

That charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement.

Martin was ordered to pay restitution to one victim in the amount of $850.

In other cases Wednesday, Casey Drennan, 30, Leesburg, was sentenced to three years of community control sanctions and ordered to complete drug treatment after pleading guilty in September to two counts of trafficking in heroin, a fifth-degree felony.

One count of trafficking heroin and three counts of possession of heroin were dropped as part of a plea agreement.

He was ordered to pay $120 in restitution to the Highland County Sheriff’s Office.

Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins represented the state in all cases.

Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570, or on Twitter @DavidWrighter.

Jacob Bell, right, sits in court on Wednesday with defense attorney Lee Koogler. Bell was sent to prison for three years after he pled guilty to two counts of burglary.
http://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2017/11/web1_fcourt110117.jpgJacob Bell, right, sits in court on Wednesday with defense attorney Lee Koogler. Bell was sent to prison for three years after he pled guilty to two counts of burglary. David Wright | The Times-Gazette
TVs, guns among items stolen in previous months

By David Wright

[email protected]

No posts to display