Wells Superior Court
Criminal Cases
Christopher D. Maxwell, 52, Huntington, pleaded guilty to theft, with a prior conviction for the same or a similar offense, a Level 6 felony; battery by bodily waste to a public safety officer, a Level 6 felony; and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor.
On the two Level 6 felonies he was sentenced to two years in prison with all but 166 days suspended — credited as time served. On the C misdemeanor he was sentenced to 60 days in the Wells County Jail. All of the sentences are to be served concurrently.
Placed on probation for 564 days.
Ordered to pay the costs of his blood test, court costs and probation fees.
As part of a plea agreement, charges of disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor; knowingly or intentionally operating a motor vehicle while never having received a driver’s license, a Class C misdemeanor; littering, a Class B infraction; no or improper windshield wipers, a Class C infraction; operating a motor vehicle with an expired license plate, a Class C infraction; and operating a motor vehicle without insurance, a Class A infraction, were all dismissed.
At 4:10 p.m. July 15, Bluffton police received a report that a man driving a black Pontiac failed to pay for more than $50 in gas at the Pak-A-Sak convenience store on South Main Street. The Pontiac fled west on Spring Street.
A Bluffton police officer happened to be west of the gas station at the time and attempted to intercept the vehicle. That’s when he spotted a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix with an expired license plate with its gas tank door open driving into a driveway at a residence on 100E near 100N.
A man exited the car as the police officer pulled into the residence. The officer asked the man, later identified as Maxwell, if he had just been at the South Main Street Pak-A-Sak. Maxwell replied that he did not know.
A second officer arrived and as the first was speaking with Maxwell, the second spoke with the property owner. The property owner did not know who Maxwell was and thought it strange that Maxwell had driven the Pontiac into the driveway.
The first officer observed in his report to the court that Maxwell wasn’t making a lot of sense, appeared confused and kept spitting.
The officer noted further in the report that Maxwell smelled of alcohol and became upset when the officer asked him to take a portable Breathalyzer test. Maxwell also allegedly threw a cigarette on the driveway when the officer told him he couldn’t smoke until after he had taken the breath test.
Maxwell reportedly became further agitated and when placed into handcuffs reportedly kept yelling, even after being told by the officers to quiet down. He then is alleged to have spit on one of the officers.
The investigating officer noted in his report to the court that there were open alcoholic beverage containers inside Maxwell’s vehicle and that he did not have a windshield wiper on the driver’s side of the windshield. Maxwell allegedly banged his head repeatedly inside the patrol car and kept spitting blood inside the car.
After a blood draw and medical examination at Bluffton Regional Medical Center, a Breathalyzer test reportedly showed Maxwell’s blood alcohol concentration equivalency to be .167 percent, or more than twice Indiana’s legal limit for intoxication of .08 percent.
Further investigation showed that Maxwell did not possess a valid driver’s license
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Morghan Covington, 29, New Haven, pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor.
Sentenced to a year in the Wells County Jail, with all but two days suspended — credited as time served, and placed on probation for 363 days.
Ordered to pay court costs and probation fees.
As part of a plea agreement, charges of driving while suspended, a Class A infraction, and operating a motor vehicle with an expired license plate, a Class C infraction, were dismissed.
While following a Chevrolet PT Cruiser south on Main Street Aug. 17, a Bluffton police officer decided to check its license plate and discovered it had expired March 28. He pulled the vehicle over at Main Street and Dustman Road.
The officer noted in his report that Covington had several active suspensions against her license. He asked her if there was anything illegal in the car. She reportedly replied that there was not, but the officer observed she appeared to be nervous. He asked her again if there was anything illegal in the car and she allegedly replied that there were two THC vape cartridges in the vehicle. The officer had Covington and her front seat passenger exit the vehicle and performed a search, reportedly locating the two cartridges.
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Jennifer Jordan, 50, Ossian, pleaded guilty to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor.
Sentenced to 20 days in the Wells County Jail, assessed court costs of $185.50 and a Countermeasures fee of $200.
As part of a plea agreement, charges of operating a motor vehicle without insurance, a Class A infraction; open alcoholic beverage container during operation of a motor vehicle, a Class C infraction; and refusal to submit to a chemical or a breath test, a Class C infraction, were all dismissed.
An Ossian police officer spotted a Chevrolet Impala southbound on Jefferson Street near Maplewood Drive that had only one functioning headlight and pulled the car over on West LaFever Street. The officer observed in his report that when the car did pull over, it drove up over the curb on LaFever.
Jordan was unable to provide current proof of insurance, smelled of alcohol and appeared intoxicated.
Jordan also allegedly refused to provide the officer a usable sample on his Breathalyzer test and requested he seek a warrant to take a blood sample. A warrant was sought and her blood was taken.
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Taylor Rose McClelland, 21, Bluffton, pleaded guilty to failure to remain at the scene of an accident, a Class B misdemeanor.
Sentenced to 180 days in the Wells County Jail, with all but two days suspended — credited as time served, and placed on probation for 363 days.
Ordered to pay restitution to her victim as well as court costs and probation fees.
Bluffton police responded to a property damage rear-end-style crash between two vehicles at the intersection of Main Street and Wabash Street June 13
Before officers arrived, the second vehicle had left, but was located nearby at the Wells County Courthouse.
The driver of that vehicle, identified as McClelland, reportedly was angry that the driver of the vehicle that she had hit from behind had stopped at a red light. She reportedly believed he should have continued through the red light without stopping since he was making a right turn.
At that intersection, lanes of traffic are required to stop when the light is red.
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Faylynn Stein, 21, Ossian, pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor.
Sentenced to a year in the Wells County Jail, with all but two days suspended, and placed on probation for 363 days.
Ordered to serve 30 days of home detention, to pay the costs associated with her blood test, court costs and probation fees.
As part of a plea agreement, charges of operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance or its metabolite in her body, a Class C misdemeanor; knowingly or intentionally operating a motor vehicle while never having received a driver’s license, a Class C misdemeanor; failure to provide a law enforcement officer with a valid vehicle registration certificate, a Class C infraction; and improper headlights, a Class C infraction, were all dismissed.
At 1:47 a.m. June 24, a Bluffton police officer spotted a vehicle northbound on Main Street near Dustman Road with no headlights on and pulled it over.
The officer observed in his report that there were three children — ages 13, 14, and 11, in the car with Stein who was the driver. She informed the officer that she was taking the children home to their aunt in Ossian. She also allegedly admitted to the officer that she had smoked marijuana about two hours earlier.
Stein reportedly failed field sobriety tests but blew a zero alcohol concentration equivalency on a Breathalyzer test.
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Nikolai Alexander Blakesley, 31, Fort Wayne, pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalency of .15 percent or more, a Class A misdemeanor.
Sentenced to a year in the Wells County Jail, with all but four days suspended — credited as time served, and placed on probation for 361 days.
Ordered to serve 40 days of home detention, court costs and probation fees.
As part of a plea agreement, charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor; operating a motor vehicle without insurance, a Class A infraction; littering, a Class B infraction; speeding, a Class C infraction; and open alcoholic beverage container violation during operation of a motor vehicle, a Class C infraction, were all dismissed.
On May 26, a sheriff’s deputy clocked a 2004 Chevrolet Impala driven by Blakesley at 70 mph-55 zone on Ind. 1 near 500N.
Blakesley informed the deputy that he was just trying to get home. He also reportedly told the deputy he could not afford car insurance.
The deputy observed that Blakesley appeared to be intoxicated, admitted to having drank five beers, failed field sobriety tests and blew a .174 percent alcohol concentration equivalency on a Breathalyzer test.
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Preliminary plea of not entered for Robert J. Donahoe Jr., 51, Bluffton, charged with driving while suspended with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Class A misdemeanor. Larry Mock appointed public defender.
While on patrol at 5:14 a.m. Oct. 6, a Bluffton police officer ran the license plate on a 2013 Cadillac and discovered that the registered owner, Donahoe, had a suspended driver’s license. The officer pulled the vehicle over on Oak Street north of Wabash Street.
Donahoe was convicted of driving while suspended Oct. 14, 2014, in Blackford County Superior Court.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Breanna Brickley, 29, rural Bluffton, charged with possession of a narcotic drug, a Level 6 felony. Bond continued at $5,000. Allison Sprunger appointed public defender.
On Sept. 28, while searching Brickley’s apartment for the Wells County Probation Department, an officer reportedly found a crushed pill in a plastic wrapper inside a cigarette pack in Brickley’s purse. The pill reportedly tested positive for suboxone, a prescription pain killer that is often used ion treating people addicted to opioids. Brickley did not have a prescription for the drug.
Reportedly she told the officer she received the pill from a coworker who told Brickley it would help her “poop.”
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Justice Sierra Madelene Hicks, 22, Ossian, charged with possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor; operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance in her body, a Class C misdemeanor; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor. Bond set at $2,000.
At 12:52 a.m. March 25, a sheriff’s deputy was monitoring traffic on Jefferson Street in Ossian when he observed a 2007 Buick with no working license plate light and pulled it over.
While speaking with the driver, identified as Hicks, the deputy observed that the interior of her vehicle smelled of raw marijuana.
A search of the vehicle reportedly turned up a small zip-top plastic bag containing a green leafy substance with the odor and appearance of marijuana.
Although she reportedly passed field sobriety tests, she tested positive for marijuana in her system.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Drequail Dia-Mante Harris, 25, Fort Wayne, charged with knowingly or intentionally operating a motor vehicle without ever having received a driver’s license, a Class C misdemeanor; and operating a motor vehicle without insurance, a Class A infraction.
On Oct. 3, Bluffton police received a report of a white Buick southbound on Ind. 1 approaching Bluffton at a high rate of speed and weaving in and out of traffic.
A Bluffton police officer was monitoring traffic at 300N, spotted the Buick and pulled in behind it. The Buick pulled over before the officer activated the emergency lights on his patrol vehicle.
The driver, identified as Harris, reportedly told the officer that he was running late for work and couldn’t afford to get more points against him.
The officer asked Harris if he had a license and Harris reportedly told the officer he had never had a driver’s license because where he was from originally — Alabama — he couldn’t pass the driver’s license test.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Tyrone Glen Stamps, 41, Fort Wayne, charged with driving while suspended, a Class A misdemeanor, and operating a motor vehicle without insurance, a Class A infraction.
While patrolling Main Street near Dustman Road Oct. 4, a Bluffton police officer performed a license plate check on a 2007 Lincoln MKZ and discovered that the registered owner, Stamps, had a suspended driver’s license for failing to supply proof of insurance. His license is not eligible for renewal until Jan. 3, 2023.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Ra Pe, 27, Fort Wayne, charged with operating a motor vehicle without ever having received a driver’s license, a Class A misdemeanor; driving while suspended, a Class A infraction; and no or improper taillights and/or license plate light, a Class C infraction. Allison Sprunger appointed public defender.
While patrolling 1050N at 450E Oct. 5, a sheriff’s deputy spotted a northbound 2016 Chevrolet Malibu that did not have a working license plate light and pulled it over.
Pe did not have an Indiana driver’s license and only had an expired Missouri identification card. There was no record that Pe had a driver’s license in any state.
Civil Cases
Agreed judgment and settlement filed by AAA Acceptance Corp., Fort Wayne, for Chantana Chipman, Bluffton,
Judgment of $436 plus court costs of $115 and interest awarded to AAA Acceptance Corp., Fort Wayne, against Trent Boyle, Bluffton.
Marriage Licenses
Isaac Ray Smith, 25, Markle, and Madison Lee Henninger, 24, rural Markle.
Teresa Elaine Struck, 31, Zanesville, and Justin Lee Davis, 40, Zanesville.
Payton Elizabeth Ann Davidson, 24, rural Bluffton, and Bradley James Kolkman, 25, rural Bluffton.
Dan Lester Dyson, 38, Liberty Center, and Kera Lurana Habegger, 39, Liberty Center.
Kedric Dean Miller, 52, Bluffton, and Catherine Michelle Lavine, 52, Bluffton.
Joshua Patrick Durham, Bluffton, and Hayley Maxine Grover, 23, Bluffton.
Heidi Lynn Pennington, 30, rural Ossian, and Samuel Jordan Benslay, 27, rural Ossian.
