Wells Superior Court
Criminal Cases
Two-day jury trial set to commence at 8:30 a.m. March 7 for Todd Michael McGinnis, 57, Fort Wayne, charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor; operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance or its metabolite in his body, a Class C misdemeanor; operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor; driving while suspended with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Class A misdemeanor; and unsafe movement from lane to lane, a Class C infraction.
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Keaton Dale Detrow, 22, Fort Wayne, violated probation by refusing to submit to a drug screening as ordered Nov. 2; by failing to follow through with the counseling requirement of his sentencing; and by failing to comply with the recommendations of Park Center.
Ordered to serve a total of 484 days in prison.
Upon completion of his term of incarceration, his probation will terminate.
Detrow was originally sentenced May 9 on one count of domestic battery, a Level 6 felony, and Feb. 14 on one count of possession of a Schedule I, II, III, or IV controlled substance.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Jimmy Richard Robert Sheets, 44, Pennville, charged with driving while suspended with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Class A misdemeanor; operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance or its metabolite in his body, a operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and possession of drug paraphernalia, all Class C misdemeanors; and no or improper headlights, a Class C infraction. Released on his own recognizance.
At 5:45 a.m. Nov. 20 a sheriff’s deputy was patrolling north on Ind. 1 near 1100S when he saw an approaching 2005 GMC Envoy with a headlight out and pulled it over. Sheets was identified as the driver.
The deputy observed in his report to the court that the interior of the Envoy smelled of marijuana and that Sheets had four active suspensions against his driver’s license. The deputy asked Sheets about the odor and Sheets allegedly admitted to the deputy that he had “taken a few hits off a roach” before driving. A roach is the slang term for a marijuana cigarette. He also allegedly admitted to the deputy that there was a corncob pipe in the vehicle.
Sheets reportedly failed field sobriety tests. A brown and silver smoking device with a burned residue in the bowl and an odor of marijuana was also located by the deputy inside the Envoy.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Sherry J. Thompson, 59, Bluffton, charged with nine counts of forgery, all Level 6 felonies. Bond continued at $3,000. Jeffrey Stineburg appointed public defender.
Thompson, a former employee at the Bluffton Walmart Supercenter, is charged with “ticket switching.” Ticket switching is when a store’s customer removes the universal price code symbol from an item and places it on a more expensive item in order to fool the UPC scanner into ringing up a more expensive item for a cheaper price.
Thompson is alleged to have begun the venture of ticket switching Sept. 30 when she allegedly swapped a ticket from a $36.98 Mimi Satchel for a $16.94 Crossbody.
The activity allegedly continued through Oct. 17 when Thompson allegedly ticket switched a $4 ladies T-shirt with a $27.98 Plus Maxi. She reportedly had three Plus Maxis and scanned the $4 tag three times, giving her a nearly $70 discount.
In all, Thompson is believed to have cheated the store out of $261.85.
Thompson has allegedly admitted to the ticket switching and reportedly told the investigating officer from the Bluffton Police Department that she was switching the tickets because she was short on money.
Other items that Thompson allegedly purchased through ticket switching were a Cozy Wrap, a Sunbeam heated blanket, a Dymo label maker, a Conair massage pad, a BHG underbed storage, a Great Value pack of toilet paper and a backpack.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Dawn A. Smith, 39, Bluffton, charged with disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor. Released on her own recognizance. Larry Mock appointed public defender.
Smith was charged with disorderly conduct after speaking with officers at the Bluffton Police Department about an issue of harassment she is reportedly having with juveniles at he residence and downtown. When an officer tried to assist her she reportedly became loud and disorderly, even after being warned she would be arrested for disorderly conduct if she persisted.
The officer observed in his report to the court that during past encounters with law enforcement officers Smith has repeatedly been warned for disorderly conduct “several dozen (times) if not at least 100” and has two previous convictions for disorderly conduct.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Thomas M. Meyer, 35, Bluffton, charged with five counts of theft with a prior conviction for the same or a similar offense, all Level 6 felonies. Bond continued at $7,500.
Meyer is charged with both ticket switching and skip scanning on 17 separate occasions at the Bluffton Walmart Supercenter between Sept. 17 and Nov. 3. Ticket switching is when a customer switches the Universal Price Code symbol from a lower-priced item and places the code sticker on a higher-priced item in order to pay less for the higher-priced item. Skip scanning is when a customer intentionally fails to scan all of the items that they have taken to a store’s self-checkout aisle.
Meyer is alleged to have either ticket switched or skip-scanned a shower head, an adjustable wrench, disposable plastic plates, two canisters of caulk, an electronic television product, Surfer Boy pizzas, a man’s belt, paint rollers, a bottle of Sweet Carolina barbecue sauce, pajamas, more pizza, a Marie Calendar frozen dinner, flour burritos, a chuck roast, still more pizza, a box of Pokemon cards, and a can of salmon.
While the report does not list the value of all of the items allegedly stolen, it does list at least $364.94 in allegedly stolen merchandise.
Civil Cases
Complaints for possession and for non-payment of rent filed by Premier Flats apartments, Bluffton, against tenants: Madison Bruner and Ethan Sturtz, an amount to be determined by the court; Edwin Wheeler, an amount to be determined by the court; Anthony Hamlet, an amount to be determined by the court.
Complaint for damages and deceptive consumer sales and fraud filed by Sharon Allen, listed only as a resident of Wells County, against 24/7 Cars of Bluffton. In the suit Allen is claiming that a salesperson persuaded Allen to purchase a 2012 Cadillac SRX sport utility vehicle at a cost of $17,200.16. The vehicle was purchased Oct. 15, 2021, and almost immediately upon purchase, Allen claims, there were problems with the vehicle. Moreover, upon taking it to a mechanic for repairs, she was informed that the vehicle had extensive underbody rust, was not roadworthy, not safe and could fail at anytime. The suit seeks punitive damages, treble damages in an amount to be determined at trial, attorney’s fees, court costs and expenses.
Petition for dissolution filed in the marriage of Laura Defoe, Bluffton, and Charles Defoe, address unknown.
Petition for dissolution filed in the marriage of Esther Andre, Bluffton, and Jean Ruste Andre, Bluffton.
