Wells Superior Court
Criminal Cases
Mehki Belle, 22, Fort Wayne, pleaded guilty to carrying a handgun without a license, a Class A misdemeanor, and possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor.
Ordered to serve 180 days in the Wells County Jail on each of the charges with the terms of the sentences to be served concurrently.
Placed on probation for 361 days.
Ordered to pay court costs and probation fees.
As part of a plea agreement, charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor; failure to signal a lane change or a turn, a Class C infraction; no valid driver’s license in his possession, a Class C infraction; and operating a motor vehicle without insurance, a Class A misdemeanor, were all dismissed.
An Ossian police officer was patrolling was monitoring traffic on Jefferson Street from Maplewood Drive Dec. 29, 2021, when he witnessed a car make a right turn from Jefferson onto Davis Road without signalling. He followed the car.
The car turned into the parking lot of Ossian Health & Rehabilitation and pulled around to the back of the building.
While speaking with the driver — identified as Belle — the officer observed in his report to the court that the interior of the vehicle smelled of raw marijuana.
While checking Belle’s driving status, the officer discovered Belle had a suspended driver’s license. Belle also was unsure if the vehicle he was driving was insured.
A search of the vehicle by the officer and two sheriff’s deputies who arrived for backup allegedly produced a Taurus 9 mm handgun for which Belle allegedly did not have a permit, a loaded clip in the driver’s side door, two more clips in the back seat, a glass smoking pipe and a “blunt,” a slang term for a marijuana cigar.
Infractions
Joseph V. Stallings, 21, Markle; driving while suspended and operating a motor vehicle without insurance, Ind. 218 at Ind. 3.
Trisha N. Money, 29, Fort Wayne; operating a motor vehicle without insurance and driving while suspended, Ind. 1 north of 350N.
Civil Cases
Marriage of Colleen Blanton and Cornelius Blanton dissolved. Her former name of Smith restored to her.
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles ordered to issue a replacement title for a 2008 Dodge Charger to Karen Flowers, Bluffton.
Judgment of $2,000 deposit and payments totaling $3,795 entered for Premier Flats against tenants Michael Leo Cairo and Kayla Celina Mertens.
Judgment of $115 in court costs and writ of possession entered for Bluffton Woods mobile home park against tenant Mark Thayer.
Complaint for possession dismissed by Silo Farms mobile home park for tenant Janine Patat.
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles ordered to issue a replacement title for a 2011 Polaris Ranger XP UTV to Leon Werling, rural Ossian.
Petition for dissolution filed in the marriage of Shara Thomas, Bluffton, and Victor Thomas, Bluffton.
Petition for dissolution filed in the marriage of Elizabeth Hartman, Bluffton, and Jeremiah Hartman, Poneto.
Complaint for payment of $24,784.72 filed by Snow & Sauerteig, Fort Wayne, against Cody L. Goetz, Bluffton.
Complaint for payment of $6,273.97 filed by SAC Finance, Fort Wayne, against Carson L. Blowers, Bluffton.
Complaint for damages of $928.39 filed by Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, Indianapolis, as subrogee for Kristen Penrod, Bluffton, against Rebecca Rhode and Amanda Rhode, Bluffton.
Complaint for payment of $15,957.67 at 10039 S. Ohio St., Keystone, filed by First Merchants Bank as successor to iAB Financial Bank, formerly known as MarkleBank against Carla A. Capper.
Complaint for payment of $1,196.04 filed by Total Recover Services,Fort Wayne, against Kenneth J. Dollaway, Fort Wayne.
Wells Circuit Court
Criminal Cases
Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Dustin Michael Everly, 26, Bluffton, charged with arson, a Level 4 felony; theft, a Class A misdemeanor; resisting law enforcement, a Class A misdemeanor; and criminal mischief, a Class B misdemeanor. Bond continued at $14,000. Jeffrey Stineburg appointed public defender.
Officers responded to a residence on Central Avenue at 10:27 p.m. May 25 after Everly reportedly destroyed a TV belonging to his girlfriend and then allegedly attempted to set her house on fire by pouring gasoline along the east side exterior of the house and igniting it with a lighter. Everly then reportedly left.
Officers and sheriff’s deputies attempted to track Everly down but he couldn’t be found.
About an hour later, Everly reportedly returned to the house but left again. Then at 12:58 a.m., a law enforcement spotted a man matching Everly’s description and tried to get him to stop but he reportedly ran away.
Wells County Sheriff’ K-9 unit Leo and handler Sgt. Andrew Campbell were able to track to a residence across the street to a shed where three kayaks were leaned against a shed. Everly reportedly was curled into a ball behind one of the kayaks.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Timothy O’Neal Davis, 40, Fort Wayne, charged with invasion of privacy, a Class A misdemeanor. Bond continued at $1,500. Jeffrey A. Stineburg appointed public defender.
On May 24, while incarcerated at the Wells County Jail, Davis allegedly handed a jailer a letter addressed only to “Wifey” and a Johnson Street address. The jailer explained to Davis that the letter needed more information about the receiver than just “Wifey.” Davis declined to provide that information.
The jailer gave it to a detective on the suspicion that the letter was a violation of a court issued protective order.
The detective explained to Davis he could not have any contact with the protected party.
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Damon Bleau Marquart, 18, Bluffton, violated probation by testing positive for nurfentanyl and THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Ordered to be released from custody upon a bed becoming available at an in-patient substance abuse treatment facility. He is to successfully complete the program, to cooperate with the admission process and follow any and all recommendations of the treatment program.
Marquart was originally sentenced April 19 on one count of possession of a Schedule I, II, III, or IV controlled substance, a Level 6 felony.
