Wells Superior Court
Criminal Cases
Troy M. Endicott, 57, listed as homeless, pleaded guilty to theft, a Class A misdemeanor.
Sentenced to a year in the Wells County Jail, with all but 10 days suspended, and placed on probation for 355 days. He was credited for eight days spent in confinement awaiting disposition of his case.
Ordered to report to a substance abuse program, pay restitution in an amount to be determined, court costs and probation fees.
Endicott was charged with shoplifting a bottle of Ten High liquor from the Save-On Liquor store on North Main Street March 17. An officer viewed the surveillance video of the store and recognized Endicott from a previous encounter. He was located at The Budget Inn on North Main Street with the bottle of Ten High lying just a few feet away. Endicott was reportedly cooperative throughout the investigation.
He was also reportedly intoxicated three times the legal limit at the time he was placed under arrest, blowing a .24 percent alcohol concentration of a Breathalyzer test.
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Probation transferred from Adams County to Wells County for Kyle F. Smith, 32, Bluffton, who is on probation until June 14, 2023, on one count of failure to return to lawful detention, a Level 6 felony.
Ordered to use no products containing CBD oil or poppy seeds, remain in the confines of his home from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. except for work purposes, and pay probation fees.
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Probation transferred from Allen County to Wells County for Ty E. Crispen, 40, Bluffton, who is on probation to May 17, 2024, following his conviction for one count of possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony.
Ordered to enroll in a cognitive thinking program, perform 20 hours of community service per week when employed less than 35 hours per week and pay probation fees.
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Probation transferred from Huntington County to Wells County for Mariel Platas, 35, rural Poneto, who is on probation to Aug. 26, 2023, following her conviction on one count of intimidation, a Level 6 felony.
Ordered to use no substance that contains CBD oil or poppy seeds, undergo mental health counseling, and pay probation fees.
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Probation transferred from DeKalb County to Wells County for Frederick R. Rupel Jr., 66, Bluffton, who is on probation to May 28, 2024, following his conviction in DeKalb County Superior Court for home improvement fraud, a Level 6 felony.
As part of his probation, Rupel is prohibited from performing contractual business work and prohibited from obtaining a building permit. He was also ordered to pay probation fees.
Infractions
Reynaldo A. San Juan, 79, Bluffton; driving while suspended, Main Street at Charles Deam Court.
Tyler A. Benedict, 41, Bluffton; driving while suspended and operating a motor vehicle without insurance, Main Street at Dustman Road.
Kevin Deck, 54, Fort Wayne; operating a motor vehicle without insurance and operating a motor vehicle with a false and/or fictitious registration, 1100N east of Ind. 1.
Khing Sha, 39, Fort Wayne; operating a motor vehicle without insurance and driving while suspended, Jefferson Street north of Davis Road, Ossian.
Costs and fines of $166 assessed against Cheryl L. Blain, 55, Markle, who admitted to driving while suspended, a Class A infraction; speeding, a Class C infraction; and no valid driver’s license in her possession, a Class C infraction.
Costs and fines of $151.50 assessed against Lizbeth Ahumada, 28, Fort Wayne, who admitted to operating a motor vehicle without insurance, a Class A infraction, and no valid driver’s license in her possession, a Class C infraction.
Terry W. Grabner, 22, Roanoke; driving while suspended, operating a motor vehicle with an expired license plate, operating a motor vehicle without insurance and operating a motor vehicle with a false and/or fictitious license plate, U.S. 224 at Maddux Street, Markle.
One count of unlawful possession of tobacco by a minor dismissed for Dayton J. Motes, 16, Bluffton.
One count of unlawful possession of tobacco by a minor dismissed for Breanna R. Heckman, 16, Bluffton.
One count of unlawful possession of tobacco by a minor dismissed for Deakon T. Adkins, 15, Bluffton.
Civil Cases
Marriage of Brianna Torres and Jose Torres dissolved.
Marriage of Catherine Louis Gephart and Rian Lee Gephart dissolved.
Complaint for damages in an amount to be determined by the court filed by Michelle K. Hall, listed only as a resident of Blackford County, against Prime Realty Holdings, Angola. In her suit, Hall is claiming she was cleaning a property owned by Prime at 925 N. Main St. on July 29, 2020, when she stepped on an uneven portion of the ingress/egress sidewalk to the business and broke her foot.
Hall has also filed a complaint for damages against her employer at the time, Cleaning One Inc., in connection with the same claimed incident.
Complaint for payment of $647.60 filed by Bluffton Motor Works, doing business as Franklin Electric Employees Credit Union, Bluffton, against Jarvis L. Carlisle, Ossian.
Complaint for payment of $1,564.47 filed by Bank of America, Columbus, Ohio, against April A. Watson, Liberty Center.
Complaint for payment of $710.55 filed by Joan Kelly, Bluffton, against Richard L. Hoying, Fort Wayne.
Complaint for payment of $1,642.94 filed by Discover Bank, New Albany, Ohio, against Justin R. King, Bluffton.
Complaint on note totaling $65,000 and to foreclose mortgage at 3618E-500N filed by Nationstar Mortgage LLC, Coppell, Texas, against Neil T. Ainsle.
Complaint for payment of $5,212.81 filed by Fort Financial Credit Union, Fort Wayne, against Dustin R. Clark, Ossian.
Complaint for possession filed by Bluffton Woods mobile home park against tenant Alina Bryan.
Complaint for payment of $9,175 dismissed by Robin A. Stove, Ossian, for M.C. Hilty Construction, rural Bluffton.
Complaint for eviction filed by Shelly James, Bluffton, against Caleb Tungate, Bluffton.
Petition for specialized driving privileges filed by Emma Clines, 22, Bluffton.
Petition for replacement vehicle title filed by Lawrence Ridgeway rural Bluffton, seeking a title for a 1962 Triumph TR3.
Petition for dissolution filed in the marriage of Stephanie Watson, Bluffton, and Travis Watson, Huntington.
Petition for dissolution filed in the marriage of Kristin Machelle Daugherty, rural Keystone, and Justin Clarence Daugherty, Liberty Center.
Complaint for payment of $2,632.24 filed by General Audit Corporation, Fort Wayne, against Brenda Medaugh, Bluffton.
Complaint for payment of $332.46 filed by Don Myers Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, rural Berne, against Ashley Lumpkin, Bluffton.
Complaints for possession filed by SMS Property Management, Fort Wayne, against: Susan Sutton, Bluffton; Dillon Geninatti and Megan Sawyer, Bluffton.
Wells Circuit Court
Criminal Cases
Matthew D. Englehardt, 37, Bluffton, was found guilty by unanimous verdict of a jury of his peers of the crimes of sexual misconduct with a minor, a Level 4 felony, and three counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, all Level 5 felonies.
Sentenced to 10 years in prison on the Level 4 felony and four years in prison on each of the Level 5 felonies. The terms of all of the sentences are to be served concurrently.
Englehardt was ordered to have no contact with his victim. Prohibited from entering onto school property.
Ordered to pay a $100 child abuse prevention service fee, a $500 sexual assault victim assistance fee and $185 in court costs.
Englehardt indicated he will appeal his conviction and sentence.
Englehardt was charged with sexually battering a girl under the age of 16 in 2020.
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Plea of not guilty entered by Ryan M. Stinson, 36, rural Poneto, charged with two counts of child molesting, both Level 4 felonies. Bond continued at $20,000.
Stinson is charged with fondling the breasts of a girl under the age of 16 at his residence in May.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Christopher Lee Prater, 43, Bluffton, charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent offender, a Level 4 felony. Bond continued at $10,000.
On June 28, Bluffton police responded to a report of shots fired at Lions Park on Bluffton’s west side.
The officers were able to determine that the sound was not coming from Lions Park but from a residence in the 1300 block of West Cherry Street — specifically the garage of the residence.
Upon further investigation, the officers were able to determine that Prater was upset with an ex-wife who continued to send him text messages about the children they have in common. Prater allegedly became so upset that he used a 9 millimeter Taurus handgun to shoot a photo of the ex-wife in the garage of the residence. The ex-wife reportedly lives a considerable distance away from Prater.
Prater had a previous conviction in Wells Circuit Court for robbery, a Class B felony, on Feb. 26, 1998.
Petitions Filed
Petitions of nomination and consent for school board office elected in 2022 have been filed with the Wells County Clerk’s office by:
• Corey James Krug, rural Bluffton, seeking re-election to the Northern Wells Community Schools Board.
• Chad L. Kline, currently an appointed member of the Northern Wells Community School Board who was picked by the school board members as a replacement for Scott Elzey after Elzey resigned from the board following his election to the Wells County Council. Kline is seeking election to his first full term on the board.
Declares Candidacy
A town office declaration of candidacy by a Democratic, Libertarian, of Republican party candidate when no town primary is conducted in 2022 has been filed with the Wells County Clerk’s office by Barbara O’Connor, Zanesville, seeking election to the Zanesville Town Council.
