Wells Superior Court
Criminal Cases
One-day jury trial set for 9 a.m. June 13 for Donald Lee Ludington, 48, Bluffton, charged with possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
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Kyle Douglas Davis, 35, Fort Wayne, pleaded guilty to failure to register as a sex or violent offender, a Level 6 felony.
Sentenced to one year in prison. The term of the sentence is to be served consecutively to whatever term is meted in Huntington Circuit Court for violating probation from a Feb. 21, 2022, sentencing for sexual misconduct with a minor, a Level 5 felony.
Ordered to pay $185 in court costs.
Davis was charged with failing to register his new place of employment with the Wells County Sex Offender Registrar.
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One-day bench trial set for 9 a.m. June 16 for Bradley J. Richardson, 29, Bluffton, charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor, and operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalency of more than .08 percent but less than .15 percent, a Class C misdemeanor.
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Sentencing set for 8:30 a.m. March 24 for David L. Cruz III, 19, Bluffton, who pleaded guilty to dangerous control of a firearm, a Level 5 felony; unlawful carrying of a handgun, a Class A misdemeanor; and possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor.
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Gavin P. Lane, 23, Fort Wayne, pleaded guilty to driving while suspended with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Class A misdemeanor.
Sentenced to a year in the Wells County Jail, all suspended, and placed on probation for one year. Probation shall terminate upon Lane obtaining valid driving privileges.
Ordered to pay court costs and probation fees.
On Dec. 3, 2022, Bluffton police received a report that a man in a white Chevrolet Trailblazer had just been inside and left a vacant residence. An officer spotted a vehicle matching the description southbound on Union Street near Wabash Street while he was responding to the call.
The officer turned around his patrol vehicle and noticed the Trailblazer was continuing south on Union Street. The officer headed east on Market Street and saw the Trailblazer come to a stop at the Union/Market intersection. Apparently the driver, Lane, realized he had been spotted by police because at this point he turned the vehicle off and started to exit the Trailblazer — just as a second police officer had pulled in behind the Trailblazer.
The second officer ordered Lane to stop, which Lane did. Upon questioning by the officers, Lane reportedly explained that he had come to Bluffton from Fort Wayne hoping to meet a girl he had contact with on Tinder, an online dating and geosocial networking application.
Lane said he had been given the address of the Bluffton residence and was told to walk into the house, which he did, but then realized something was not quite right.
It turned out that Lane had fallen for a prank played on him by male acquaintances who knew the residence they had sent Lane to was vacant.
Upon further investigation, the officers discovered Lane had driven to Bluffton with a driver’s license that had been suspended since May 5 following a conviction for driving while suspended in Allen County Superior Court.
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Hector L. Muñoz Carattini, 60, Bluffton, pleaded guilty to resisting law enforcement, a Class A misdemeanor, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor.
Sentenced to a year in the Wells County Jail on each of the counts with the terms of the sentences to be served concurrently.
All but 30 days of each sentence were suspended. Carattini was credited for six days spent in confinement awaiting disposition of his case.
Placed on probation for 335 days.
Ordered to report to a substance abuse program, pay a $200 Countermeasures fee, pay all costs associated with his blood test, court costs and probation fees.
Driver’s license suspended for one year.
As part of a plea agreement, charges of resisting law enforcement by use of a vehicle, a Level 6 felony; exceeding the speed limit, a Class C infraction; failure to signal a turn or lane change that causes a traffic accident involving bodily injury, a Class A infraction; open alcoholic beverage container during operation of a motor vehicle, a Class C infraction; and driving left of center, a Class infraction, were all dismissed.
While patrolling Main Street at 1:25 a.m. July 9, 2022, a Bluffton police officer clocked a southbound 2015 Hyundai Tucson at 62 mph-30 zone. The officer tried to catch up to the vehicle but was unable to do so before the Tucson made a right turn onto Wabash Street, swinging so wide that it reportedly was driving westbound in the eastbound lane of the street. The Tucson reportedly continued westbound on Wabash Street at 65 mph-30 zone and at Oak Street, made a left turn to head south. The officer had activated the emergency light package on his patrol vehicle and then realized that they had turned off on their own. He reactivated them but by this time, the Tucson was heading east on Washington Street.
The lights stopped work
ing on the patrol car again, so the officer reactivated them but the Tucson reportedly turned southbound onto Jersey Street. The Tucson then pulled into the driveway of a private residence. The officer exited his patrol vehicle and recognized the driver as Carattini from prior incidents that the officer had investigated.
The officer observed in his report that Carritini appeared intoxicated, smelled of alcohol and blew a .168 percent alcohol concentration equivalency on a Breathalyzer test.
Carritini was reportedly also in possession of part of a ballpoint ink pen which had a white residue on it. He allegedly admitted to the investigating officer later in the investigation he used the end of the pen to “snort” crushed pain pills.
While he was being detained at Bluffton Regional Medical center, Carritini allegedly resisted attempts by a nurse to take his blood.
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Order of conditional discharge entered for Xavier Bradley Fonvil, 20, Bluffton, charged with possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor, possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor, and speeding, a Class C infraction.
The duration of deferred proceedings is 180 days. If Fonvil follows the rules set for him by the Wells County Probation Department during that time period, the charges against him will be dismissed.
Ordered to pay $100 in fees.
While patrolling north on Jefferson Street/Ind. 1 in Ossian Dec. 6, a sheriff’s deputy clocked an oncoming southbound 2018 Nissan Altima at 45 mph-25 zone in downtown Ossian.
The deputy turned around his patrol vehicle and pulled the Altima over.
The deputy observed in his report filed with the court that the interior of Fonvil’s Altima smelled like marijuana. The deputy asked Fonvil when the last time was that he smoked marijuana and Fonvil reportedly asked the deputy in return, “It’s because my car smells like ‘weed’ right?” Weed is a slang term for marijuana.
Fonvil reportedly also told the deputy that he had just moved to Indiana from Connecticut and in Connecticut “weed” is legal.
A second deputy who arrived to assist in the traffic stop and reported finding several items of drug paraphernalia, plastic zip-top bags of a green leafy plant material with the odor and appearance of marijuana, a black grinder, packages of cigarillos, a package of RAW brand tips normally used to filter marijuana cigarettes, a “pre-roll” — a slang term for a pre-made smoking tube to be filled with marijuana and a vape pen containing THC oil. THC is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Civil Cases
Writs of possession entered for Maple Grove Estates mobile home park, Bluffton, against tenants: Christine Bailey and Nathanael Matthew Smith.
Judgments for damages entered for Maple Grove Estates against former tenants: Gary Hurley, $3,000; Timothy Hughes II, $3,106; Lee Breedlove, $3,000. Each were also ordered to pay $115 in court costs.
Marriage Licenses
Gwyneth Roxene Coleman, 24, Bluffton, and Kyle Douglas Gearheart, 30, Bluffton.
Alyssa Marie Sponseller, 30, rural Bluffton, and Jeremy Robert Brown, 32, rural Bluffton.
Taylor Renee Nally, 29, Poneto, and Michael Phillip Benedict, 32, Poneto.
Alexsa Ryeanne Potts, 24, Ossian, and Travis William Ladd, 27, Ossian.
File Reports
Reports of receipts and expenditures of political committees have been filed with the Wells County Clerk’s office by:
• Thompson for school board, Julie Ann Thompson, rural Bluffton, non-partisan for Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School Board of Trustees at-large position.
For the period beginning Oct. 15 and ending Dec. 31, the committee showed no cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period, no itemized nor unitemized contributions or receipts, no expenditures, and ended the reporting period with no cash on hand.
The committee had no debt.
For the year-to-date 2022, the committee began the reporting period with no cash on hand, received $808.05 in itemized contributions and receipts, received no unitemized contributions or receipts, made $808.05 in itemized expenditures, made no unitemized expenditures and ended the reporting period with no cash on hand.
• Restoring America One Community at a Time, Peter Christopher Koiner, Bluffton, Republican for Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School Board of Trustees at-large position.
For the period beginning Oct. 15 and ending Dec. 31, the committee showed $85.99 in cash on hand, no itemized contributions or receipts, no unitemized contributions or receipts, no itemized expenditures and no unitemized expenditures. The committee concluded the reporting period with $85.99 in cash on hand.
The committee owed no debt.
For year-to-date 2022, the committee began the reporting period with no cash on hand, logged $810.03 in itemized contributions and receipts, $25 in unitemized contributions and receipts, recorded $749.04 in itemized expenditures, logged no unitemized expenditures, and ended the reporting period with $85.99 in cash on hand.
• Vanover for Wells County, Michael “Mike” K. Vanover, rural Keystone, Republican for Wells County Commissioner District 1.
For the period beginning Oct. 15 and ending Dec. 31, the committee showed $7,813.27 in cash on hand, no itemized contributions or receipts, no unitemized contributions or receipts, $1,185 in itemized expenditures, no unitemized expenditures and ended the reporting period with $6,628.27 in cash on hand.
The itemized expenditures were $185 to the Wells County Auditor and $1,000 to Congressman McCarthy.
For year-to-date, the committee began the reporting period with $15,981.52, no itemized contributions and receipts, no unitemized contributions and receipts, and finished the reporting period with $14,796.52 in cash on hand.
• Hunt for City Council, Joshua Daniel Hunt, Bluffton, Republican for Bluffton Common Council District 2.
For the period beginning Jan. 1 and ending Dec. 31, 2022, the committee showed $1,109.17 in cash on hand, no itemized contributions or receipts, no unitemized contributions or receipts, no itemized expenditures, $60 in unitemized expenditures and ended the reporting period with $1,049.17 in cash on hand.
The committee owed no debt.
• Barkley for Ossian, Joshua W. Barkley, Ossian, Republican for Ossian Town Council at-large.
For the period beginning Oct. 14 and ending Dec. 31, 2022, the committee showed $7,412.62 in cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period, $1,000 in itemized contributions, no unitemized contributions, $5,647.86 in itemized expenditures, and ended the reporting period with $2,764.76 in cash on hand.
The committee owed $10,000 in debt to the candidate himself.
Itemized contributions were: $100 from Phil Dinovo, Ossian; $100 from Richard T. Zeplin, rural Uniondale; $100 from Stardette Reppert, rural Uniondale; $200 from RTZ Services, Ossian; and $500 from Jim Banks for Congress.
Itemized expenditures were: $1,000 to Veronica Wilson, rural Markle for consulting fees; $3,077.23 to New Haven Print, Fort Wayne, for mailings; and $13.20 to the United States Post Office, Ossian, for postage.
For the year-to-date, 2022, the committee showed no cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period, $12,800 in itemized contributions and receipts, no unitemized contributions or receipts, $10,035.24 in itemized expenditures, no unitemized expenditures, and ended the reporting period with $3,764.76 in cash on hand.
• Committee to Elect Vicki Andrews, rural Warren, Republican for Wells County Council at-large.
For the period beginning Jan. 1 and ending Dec. 31, the committee showed no cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period, $320.24 in itemized contributions and receipts, no unitemized contributions nor receipts, no itemized nor unitemized expenditures, and ended the reporting period with $320.24 in cash on hand.
The committee owed no debt.
The itemized contribution was $320.24 from Ryan Mounsey, Bluffton.
• Committee to Elect Rick Elwell, Rick Dean Elwell, Bluffton, Republican for Bluffton Common Council at-large.
For the period beginning Jan. 1 and ending Dec. 31, the committee showed $220.35 in cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period, $10 in itemized contributions and receipts, no unitemized contributions nor receipts, $200 in in itemized expenditures, no unitemized expenditures, and ended the reporting period with $30.35 in cash on hand.
The lone itemized contribution was from the candidate himself.
The $200 itemized expenditure was $200 to the Wells County Republican Party for Lincoln Day Dinner tickets.
