A Hillsboro man was sentenced to at least 60 months at the Corrections Reception Center in Orient this week in Highland County Common Pleas Court.
Jerry Berry, Jr., 51, was sentenced on two counts of sexual assault, both third-degree felonies.
According to court records, Berry was sentenced to a 30-month prison sentence for the first count that is consecutive to another 30-month sentence for the second count. Berry was also given 23 days of jail-time credit on his sentence.
Berry was also ordered to register as a Tier III Sex Offender/Victim Offender registrant for the rest of his life, with in-person verification every 90 days, with his address currently listed on Homestead Drive in Hillsboro.
For the first count, on or around Aug. 1, 2021, and continuing through Aug. 31, 2021, court records state that in Highland County, Berry Jr. engaged in sexual conduct with someone that was not his spouse, with Berry Jr. being the natural parent, adoptive parent, stepparent, guardian, custodian or person in loco parentis of the victim.
For the second count, on or around Sept. 1, 2021, and continuing through Sept. 31, 2021, court records state that in Highland County, Berry Jr. engaged in sexual conduct with someone that was not his spouse, with Berry Jr. being the natural parent, adoptive parent, stepparent, guardian, custodian or person in loco parentis of the victim.
In other news, a Sabina man was sentenced to six years of community control.
Shaice Jones, 20, was sentenced on one count of receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony; and one count of failure to appear, a fourth-degree felony, with a three-year community control sentence per count.
According to court records for the first count, Jones was sentenced to three years of community control. He was also ordered to successfully complete substance use disorder (SUD) residential treatment and aftercare at Family Recovery Services (FRS).
Jones will be subject to a prison sentence of between six and 18 months and a fine of $5,000 if he violates any of the community control sanctions.
On Feb. 5, 2021, court records state that the Highland County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible burglary on Foraker Street in Greenfield. When the deputy got to the residence, they spoke to the victim who said they were in Washington C.H. on the morning of Feb. 5, 2021, when they received a call from a grandparent that indicated that they believed someone had gone through the first person’s bedroom and possibly stolen property.
A short time after receiving the call from the grandparent, the victim returned to the residence and found that various firearms and other items were missing from the bedroom. The victim said the missing items included: American Tactical AR-15 with four magazines, Remington 1911 R1S in .45 cal, Savage Arms bolt action rifle in 22LR with a scope, Ruger 10/22, various ammunition and a PlayStation 4 with two controllers.
The victim, according to court records, said that when they left their residence on Feb. 1, 2021, the bedroom door and window were both locked, but when they returned on Feb. 5, 2021, they were both unlocked. The victim told the deputy that they suspected Shaice Jones and a friend of his were responsible for the theft because the two had stolen from them previously. The victim also told the deputy that Jones and his friend lived in the same place on Foraker Street.
The victim also indicated that they’d questioned Jones and his friend about the missing items and both denied any part in the incident. A short time later, Jones’ friend approached the victim on their front porch and admitted they’d taken the items from the bedroom because they were “sick of living in Greenfield” and needed money to leave. When the deputy arrived, Jones’ friend had already left the property, according to court records.
The deputy spoke to Jones in his bedroom at the residence where he was advised him of his Miranda Rights. Jones agreed to speak to the deputy and admitted that he entered the victim’s bedroom and took the items with his friend. The deputy contacted the friend, who agreed to speak to the deputy at the Highland County Sheriff’s Office. During a recorded interview, the friend admitted to stealing the guns and PlayStation 4 from the victim’s bedroom to try and get money to leave Greenfield, court records state.
According to court records for the second count, Jones will be subject to a prison sentence of between six and 18 months and a fine of $5,000 if he violates any of the community control sanctions.
On or around Oct. 6, 2021, court records state that Jones was indicted in Highland County Common Pleas Court on or around April 6, 2021. He entered a guilty plea in that case on or around Aug. 18, 2021, and a sentencing hearing was scheduled for Oct. 6, 2021. He was also previously given an OR bond on or around April 28, 2021, which Jones signed. He did not appear for the sentencing hearing on Oct. 6, 2021, which the court required as a condition of his bond.
Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.
