Wells Superior Court
Infractions
Donald E. Budlong, 27, Ossian; operating a motor vehicle without insurance, Ind. 1 at U.S. 224.
Civil Cases
Complaint for possession filed by Silo Farms mobile home park, Ossian, against tenant Amanda Fairchild.
Complaint for payment of $8,489.21 filed by SAC Finance, Fort Wayne, against Alexandria S. Gaskill, Bluffton.
Complaint for payment of $1,613.48 filed by Discover Bank, New Albany, Ohio, against Jasmine K. Iida, Bluffton.
Petition for replacement vehicle title filed by Harvey Ziegler, Bluffton, seeking a title for a two-wheeled trailer.
Complaints for payment filed by Midland Credit Management, Grand Rapids, Mich., against: Jeffrey McGinnis, Ossian, $1,931.60; and Cobin F. Rodriguez, rural Ossian, $1,140.90.
Complaints for payment filed by LVNV Funding, Grand Rapids, Mich., against Matthew Masterson, Bluffton, $2,239.40; Amy Newnum, Bluffton, $1,035.04.
Complaint for possession and for non-payment of rent totaling $1,570 filed by Market Street Development, Bluffton, against Dianna and Gary McGillem, Bluffton.
Petition for dissolution filed in the marriage of Adam King, Bluffton, and Rachel King, Bluffton.
Complaint for payment of $483 filed by Shannon L. Haines, Bluffton, against Steven D. Michael, Bluffton.
Michelle Brown-Stohler appointed judge pro tem for Sept. 6.
Wells Circuit Court
Criminal Cases
Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Hunter James Bailey, 25, Bluffton, charged with Possession of methamphetamine and two counts of possession of a narcotic drug, all Level 5 felonies; possession of a controlled substance, a Level 6 felony; possession of marijuana and four counts of possession of drug paraphernalia with a prior conviction for the same offense, all Class A misdemeanors. Bond continued at $42,500. Jeffrey Stineburg appointed public defender.
On Sept. 6, Bluffton police responded to a Wiley Avenue residence to assist the homeowners with removing Bailey from the residence. Bailey reportedly had been living with his mother who was living at the house as a tenant, however Bailey was not a tenant and was not on the lease. Moreover, police had received reports that Bailey may have possibly been dealing illegal drugs out of the house. Bailey’s mother reportedly had moved out of the house several weeks earlier without notifying the owners, but Bailey had remained.
Upon arriving at the residence, officers and the homeowners notified Bailey he needed to vacate the premises. He reportedly went upstairs, where he had his bedroom, with officers following behind him. He reportedly told the officers that he did not want them to follow him upstairs but they told him that for their safety they were going to accompany him.
Reportedly the homeowners had notified the officers that Bailey kept a handgun in the house.
At that point Bailey reportedly tried running up the stairs with the officers in pursuit and ordered him to stop at gunpoint. He was detained at the top of the stairs.
During a routine sweep of the house to ensure there was no one else inside, officers reportedly discovered lines of methamphetamine laid out on a mirror in plain sight in an upstairs bedroom. Bailey allegedly admitted that the substance was methamphetamine.
The investigating officer obtained a search warrant, and following a search of the house, officers allegedly discovered two handguns, additional methamphetamine, fentanyl, a clear glass smoking pipe, multiple small plastic jewelers bags — some used and some not used — a multi-colored smoking bong, lighters and torches, more glass smoking pipes and gift cards with other people’s names on the cards.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Roger Wayne Wiles, 34, Fort Wayne, charged with one count of child solicitation, a Level 4 felony. Jeffrey Stineburg appointed public defender.
State filed intent to seek habitual offender status. Wiles was convicted May 14, 2014, in Allen County Superior Court on one count of child molesting, a Class B felony and on July 7, 2017, in Allen County Superior Court on one count of failure to register as a sex offender, a Level 6 felony.
Wiles was the subject of a sting set up by a private citizen group that titles itself Predator Catchers of Indianapolis or PCI. In this case, members of the group used the website “Grindr” a site reportedly for men to meet other men for casual sexual encounters. Adult members of PCI posed as a 14-year-old boy, but upon getting Wiles to respond to their postings, revealed that they were, in fact, 13 with an upcoming birthday.
Apparently eager to make a connection with the “boy” Wiles sent photos of his genitals along with messages that were extremely sexual in nature. The group then arranged to meet Wiles at the Bluffton Walmart Supercenter Sept. 5.
Prior to the meeting, the group ensured that Wiles understood that the person he was about to meet for a sexual encounter was a boy 13 years of age. The group asked through the website if Wiles was comfortable with meeting a boy that young for sex to which Wiles allegedly replied that he “had been” with a 13-year-old boy in the past (which he intimated was why he was arrested the first time) and “the younger the better.”
Upon setting up the meeting, Wiles was greeted inside the store by a man and a woman representing the group who explained to him who they were, that the entire encounter was a set up, and that police had been contacted. They posted the entire encounter to the PCI Facebook page.
Wiles was arrested outside of the northeast entrance to the store without incident. He allegedly admitted to investigators that he had responded to the Grindr posting with the understanding that he was meeting a 13-year-old boy for sex and that he knew that was wrong.
Civil Cases
Complaint on note totaling $74,687.76 and to foreclose mortgage at 327 W. Wabash St., filed by Caliber Home Loans Inc., Oklahoma City, Okla., against Ryan P. Kemp and Brittany A. Kemp.
Larry Mock appointed judge pro tem for Sept. 8.
Marriage Licenses
Kyla Diane Coffel, 19, rural Montpelier, and Clay Byron Banter, 20, rural Warren.
Paul Edward Kistler, 56, rural Huntington, and Peggy Sharlene Fields, 54, Markle.
Nancy Lou Archbold, 63, Bluffton, and Michael Dean Taylor, 63, Manitou Beach, Mich.
Jeremiah Ralph Frank, 30, Bluffton, and Sierra Dawn Helen Augsburger, 22, Bluffton.
Jeremy Patrick Mayer, 23, rural Bluffton, and Vanessa Lynn Haneline, 23, Zanesville.
Colton Davis Creasy, 34, Flora, and Elizabeth Nicole Wohlford, 30, Bluffton.
Christy Lynn Lipkey, 49, Bluffton, and David Joe Gephart, 47, Bluffton.
Charles Edward Lamons, 79, rural Bluffton, and Stephanie Linn Monroe 51, rural Bluffton.
Howard J. Adkins, 45, Bluffton, and Mercede Lynn Sills, 28, Bluffton.
Kobe James Zimmer, 23, rural Ossian, and Mary Elizabeth Layman, 22, Huntington.
