A Lynchburg man was sentenced to at least 24 months in prison for having weapons while under disability Wednesday in Highland County Common Pleas Court.
Brian Mock, 24, Lynchburg, was sentenced to at least 24 months in prison for one count of having weapons while under disability, a third-degree felony, along with a forfeiture specification. He was also given 54 days of jail-time credit.
On June 1, 2021, court records state, two deputies and a sergeant responded to a property on Weberton Road in Dodson Township to serve a probate order because an order of detention was issued for Mock. When they arrived at the residence the two deputies met with a person that identified themself as the homeowner. The homeowner escorted them to Mock’s bedroom where they found Mock and another person. The deputies explained the probate order to him, and while that took place the sergeant saw a used hypodermic needle on the bed, one on a desk, and multiple needles in a small trash can.
A grocery bag that had hypodermic needles inside was also next to the trash can. Mock was escorted to a patrol vehicle. Another hypodermic needle was found in Mock’s pocket during a pat-down. The sergeant spoke to the other two people at the house, one of which took them back to Mock’s bedroom to collect the used hypodermic needles. While they were doing that, the person that was in Mock’s bedroom asked the sergeant if they could show them how to make firearms safe so they could transport them. The sergeant asked them where the firearms were.
The person indicated that they were under the bed and then collected a Ruger .22 caliber pistol with a Tasco Pinpoint and loaded and inserted magazine, and a Chiappa Model 1911-22 pistol with a loaded and inserted magazine. The sergeant remembered that Mock had been to prison and radioed to the dispatch to determine if Mock had a prior qualifying conviction. Mock had been previously convicted of possession of heroin in Highland County Common Pleas Court on May 18, 2017.
On June 24, 2021, the sergeant returned to the residence to speak to Mock. The sergeant asked Mock about the firearms, which he indicated had been left at the residence by friends.
Jeremy Bender, 41, Greenfield, was sentenced on two separate cases, one a count of aggravated possession of meth, a fifth-degree felony, and the other on a count of failure to appear, a fourth-degree felony.
According to court records, Bender was sentenced to eight months in prison for the meth charge that is to run consecutive to a 10-month sentence for failure to appear. Bender was also given 103 days of jail-time credit.
On or around Feb. 2, 2020, court records state, a patrol officer saw three people in a yard. The officer recognized one of the people and thought one of the other people was someone that had a warrant. When the officer asked the person they recognized, they said their name was Jeremy Bender and showed the officer his photo ID.
The officer confirmed Bender had a warrant for his arrest in Ross County and placed him under arrest. After searching Bender the officer found a small plastic bag that contained an unknown substance. Bender said he had just picked it up from the ground. The substance was submitted to BCI where it tested positive for meth.
On or around Sept. 1, 2021, court records state Bender was indicted in Highland County Common Pleas Court on June 2, 2021. On Aug. 13, 2021, Bender was arraigned and given an OR bond. He was advised by the court of the dates that he needed to appear. He then failed to appear at a pretrial hearing.
Jeremy Purdom, 40, New Vienna, was sentenced to at least eight months in prison on one count of receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony. A factor in Purdom’s sentencing was that he had previously served a prison sentence.
On June 11, 2021, court records state, detectives tried to find a stolen vehicle on Careytown Road after they received information that Purdom might have been connected. While there, the detectives saw a red Dodge pickup towing a green Kia Sol pass their location with a black Mercedes following behind it. One of the detectives recognized the driver of thepickup as Purdom. They were also aware that Purdom didn’t have a valid driver’s license.
The detectives started to follow the vehicles, lost sight of them on Hixon Road, then located the vehicles on S.R. 72. As they approached the vehicles, the vehicles turned into a driveway off S.R. 72. A short time later, the vehicles exited the driveway, and the Dodge, which was no longer pulling the Kia, pulled into a property on S.R. 72 in Leesburg.
Officers found Purdom seated in the driver’s seat of the Dodge. Purdom said he was dropping off his car hauler and going back to his shop outside of New Vienna. Purdom told one of the detectives that the vehicle belonged to a friend and claimed he was driving it because he didn’t have a truck of his own. Purdom confirmed that the Mercedes was following him and said the person driving it was the friend mentioned earlier.
When the detective asked Purdom about attempting to elude officers, he said he didn’t know if the Kia was stolen or not and he wanted to get rid of it. Purdom claimed his friend told him where to take the Kia and indicated he didn’t know who owned the property where the Kia was left. He said he had three weeks left on his parole and claimed he told his friends that brought the Kia to his house that it couldn’t be on his property if a bill of sale or title to the vehicle couldn’t be produced. Purdom indicated that he arranged to tow the Kia from his property.
Rebecca Captain, 30, Lynchburg, was sentenced to at least 12 months in prison for tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.
Court records state that on or around Sept. 15, 2021, and continuing through Oct. 19, 2021, Captain altered or destroyed record that could have been used in an investigation.
Michael Riley, 49, Hillsboro, was sentenced to three years of community control on one count of receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $2,081 in restitution to the victim.
On Aug. 8, 2021, an arrest was made in reference to a burglary at a residence on Fisherman’s Wharf. While a deputy was speaking to the person, they asked the deputy if they knew about a recent burglary of a camouflaged Kubota side-by-side RTV. The arrested person gave details about the stolen Kubota and said they knew where it was located.
The person stated the stolen Kubota was at Riley’s residence. On Aug. 8, 2021, officers responded to a residence on S.R. 41 and made contact with Riley. He was advised that law enforcement received information about a stolen Kubota on the property.
The deputy saw the Kubota “sitting in plain sight” on Riley’s property. Riley consented for officers to look around the property for stolen items. Riley said the someone dropped the Kubota off and that that it didn’t belong to him.
Michael Orr, 37, Goshen, was sentenced to three years of community control on one count of breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of theft, a fifth-degree felony.
According to court records, Orr was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5,101.
On June 25, 2021, court records state, Orr and an accomplice trespassed on the land with the purpose to commit a felony. They also state that on or around June 25, 2021, Orr and the accomplice stole Milwaukee saws, Milwaukee impacts, Milwaukee batteries and chargers, a Milwaukee sawzall and blades, Milwaukee metal sheer attachment, Stihl chainsaws and other miscellaneous items.
Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.
