Wells Superior Court
Criminal Cases
Raymond Castillo III, 19, Portland, was ordered to complete 180 days of his recently suspended sentence in the Wells County Jail.
In August, Castillo was sentenced to 365 days in jail with 275 days suspended and 20 days of jail credit. He was also ordered to complete 275 days of probation and 180 days of home detention. The sentence was issued after Castillo pled guilty to one count of failure to report human remains and one count of theft, both Class A misdemeanors.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Castillo, his juvenile girlfriend, additional juveniles, and the victim were spending time together at the victim’s grandparents’ home. The group reportedly took pills, smoked marijuana, and drank alcohol. Several witness statements say Castillo failed to report the overdose due to fear of being charged for using drugs and alcohol. Castillo and his girlfriend called her father to pick them up, rather than seek help from authorities or alerting the victim’s grandparents, who were asleep upstairs at the time.
Castillo is also ordered to pay court costs and filing fees in the amount of $489.
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Jadon Kelly Kent, 26, Angola, was scheduled to appear in the Wells Superior Court on Monday for a status hearing on his case. In May, Kent was charged with driving while suspended with a prior conviction, a Class A misdemeanor, possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor, possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor, and several infractions for improper headlights and operating with an expired license plate.
The morning of the hearing, Kent left a voicemail on the court’s answering machine and advised that his arranged ride was no longer able to transport him to his hearing. Kent requested a new court date and that a warrant for his arrest not be issued. A warrant for his arrest was issued and is currently active.
Wells Circuit Court
Criminal Cases
Dakota Patrick Thompson, 29, Sweetser, was sentenced to three years in the Indiana Department of Correction with two years, 180 days suspended and 26 days of jail credit. In lieu of incarceration, Thompson is permitted to serve the remainder of the executed portion of his sentence on home detention.
The sentence was issued after Thompson pled guilty to one charge of corrupt business influence, a Level 5 felony, in the Wells Circuit Court in September. Four counts of theft, all Level 6 felonies, were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the Wells County Sheriff’s Department received a report of embezzlement in February, made by an employee of Clean Fuel National. The employee reported that Thompson accumulated unauthorized charges in the amount of $16, 936.85 on a company credit card. When confronted with the charges, Thompson blamed his girlfriend and agreed to pay them back according to a payment plan. The case was opened after Thompson ceased making payments.
The owner of Clean Fuel National, Michael Vanover, is also a Wells County commissioner. Due to potential conflicts of interest, the case was referred to the Indiana State Police and handled by Huntington prosecutor Jeremy Nix.
Thompson is ordered to pay back the remaining $15,336.85 he owes the company as part of his sentence. He is also ordered to complete a period of probation and pay court costs and filing fees in the amount of $1,150.
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Michael Stephen Clayton, 40, Ossian, was sentenced to two years, 180 days with two years suspended and 58 days of jail credit. The sentence was issued on Wednesday immediately after Clayton pled guilty to one count of domestic battery with a prior conviction, a Level 6 felony. One charge for strangulation — prior conviction for strangulation, was dismissed pursuant to the plea agreement.
Clayton is ordered to complete a period of probation following his incarceration as well as pay court costs and filing fees in the amount of $489.
