Wells Superior Court
Criminal Cases
Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Christopher L. Sills Jr., 18, Bluffton, charged with criminal trespass and intimidation, both Class A misdemeanors, and disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor. Bond continued at $5,000. Pauper status denied.
Apparently angered from a dispute over the ownership of an automobile, Sills Jr. allegedly went to Wings Etc., 657 N. Main St., Aug. 27 and angrily confronted his mother, an employee of the restaurant, in the presence of the customers of the restaurant. He then allegedly made threatening statements to the manager of the restaurant when the manager told him to leave.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Timothy Larson, 22, Bluffton, charged with domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor, and disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor. Bond continued at $2,500. Larry Mock appointed public defender.
Larson is charged with battering a woman he lived with at the Pine Grove apartments Sept. 1. As officers arrived at the scene, Larson was reportedly standing outside of the apartment yelling at two individuals in a vehicle in the parking lot of the complex.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Kassandra Liliana Ramirez, 22, Bluffton, charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person with a prior conviction and operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalency of .15 percent or more with a prior conviction for the same offense, both Level 6 felonies; operating a motor vehicle without insurance, a Class A infraction; no valid driver’s license in her possession, a Class C infraction; and failure to change name or address on driver’s license, a Class C infraction. Released on her own recognizance. Larry Mock appointed public defender.
At 3:21 a.m. Sept. 3, a Bluffton police officer was patrolling North Main Street when she spotted a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze ahead of her weaving in its lane and traveling below the speed limit. The officer activated the emergency lights of her cruiser to pull the Cruze over, but it reportedly continued north on Main Street before finally pulling over after making a right turn onto Monroe Street.
The officer exited her patrol vehicle and started waling toward the Cruze but she reported that as she did so, the Cruze started to drive away. She ordered it to stop, which it did.
A check of her license information showed that Ramirez had a suspended driver’s license but that it was able to be reinstated Dec. 27, 2021. The officer also noted in her report to the court that Ramirez appeared to be intoxicated, failed field sobriety tests and blew a .17 percent alcohol concentration equivalency on a Breathalyzer test.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Brandie Lee Cook, 27, Westland, Mich., charged with dealing in marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor; possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor; possession of a Schedule I, II, III, or IV controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor. Bond continued at $4,000.
Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Eric William MacDonald, 29, Westland, Mich., charged with dealing in marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor, and possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor. Bond continued at $2,500.
At 11:44 a.m. Sept. 3, a Bluffton police officer was patrolling South Main Street when he clocked a 2021 Ford Expedition at 47 mph-30 zone at 4-H Park Road. The officer pulled the Explorer over in the Harrison Plaza parking lot.
While speaking with the driver, identified as MacDonald, the officer observed a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the interior of the vehicle. The officer asked MacDonald about the presence of marijuana inside the Expedition. MacDonald denied there was any marijuana in the vehicle but instead reportedly told the officer that he was a “caregiver” in Michigan and worked with marijuana, therefore the odor of it was always on his clothing.
The officer ordered MacDonald and his passenger, Cook, out of the vehicle.
MacDonald and Cook complied. The officer then confronted both about the smell coming from the vehicle and advised he was going to have it searched. The officer said that he understood marijuana is legal in Michigan but remains illegal in Indiana. At that point, MacDonald reportedly admitted there might be a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle. He added that he and Cook were en route to Dunkirk where they have family.
During the course of searching the vehicle, the officer allegedly discovered three zipper top plastic bags of a green leafy plant material with the odor of and appearance of marijuana labeled Wowzcos, Strawberry G, and Wowzers. He also allegedly found eight tied closed clear plastic bags containing a green plant-like material with the odor and appearance of marijuana labeled GGx3, Natural Gas, Wowzers, Strawberry G, Lemon Cherry 1/2, Pancake 1/2, White Truffle 1/2, and one unlabeled bag.
In a box of nitrile gloves, the officer reportedly found a small pair of shears with marijuana residue on the blades. The officer also reportedly found a set of scales and a small bowl with marijuana residue.
MacDonald was also reportedly in possession of $431 in cash. Cook was reportedly found to be in possession of $1,321.01 in cash.
A search of Cook’s bag reportedly turned up a prescription pill bottle containing five pills that the arresting officer later identified as amphetamine and dextroamphetamine.
Reportedly the total amount of marijuana weighed by officers was approximately five pounds. That would be roughly equivalent to approximately 6,700 standard marijuana cigarettes.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Patrick Lee Bortner, 51, Columbia City, charged with residential entry, a Level 6 felony, and criminal trespass, a Class A misdemeanor. Bond continued at $6,500.
At 7:32 a.m. on Sept. 5, Bluffton police responded to a Walnut Street residence on a report that a strange man — later identified as Bortner — was attempting to enter the residence through a back door. One of the homeowners was trying to hold the back door closed and another told Bortner he needed to leave. Bortner allegedly told the homeowner he wanted some coffee.
When officers arrived, Bortner was reportedly seated in a chair on the back porch of the residence. He allegedly blew a .187 percent alcohol concentration equivalency on a Breathalyzer test.
It was later discovered that Bortner’s vehicle had been abandoned by the pond at the Bluffton Woods mobile home park.
Infractions
Kevin Deck, 54, New Haven, admitted to operating a motor vehicle with a false or fictitious license plate, a Class C infraction. One count of operating a vehicle without insurance, a Class A infraction was dismissed. Fined and assessed court costs of $145.50.
Wells Circuit Court
Criminal Cases
Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Kevin Len Patat, 51, Bluffton, charged with domestic battery with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Level 6 felony. Bond continued at $5,000.
Patat was charged with battering a woman during an argument over groceries at the residence they share in the 900 block of South Main Street Aug. 28.
