Wells Superior Court
Criminal Cases
Austin Taylor Bassett, 22, New Haven, pleaded guilty to minor in possession of alcohol, a Class C misdemeanor.
Sentenced to 60 days in the Wells County Jail, credited as time served, and ordered to pay a fine of $14.50 and court costs of $185.
Bassett was 20 at the time of his arrest Feb. 29, 2020, when Bluffton police responded to a Bluffton residence where he and his girlfriend were living on a report of a verbal domestic dispute.
During the course of the investigation, Bassett reportedly admitted to having drank alcohol, smelled of alcohol, and blew a .104 percent alcohol concentration equivalency on a Breathalyzer test.
Bassett also pleaded guilty to knowingly or intentionally operating a motor vehicle without ever having been issued a driver’s license.
In that case, he was also ordered to serve 60 days in the Wells County Jail but his jail time was credited as time served.
He was ordered to pay another $185.50 in court costs.
As part of a plea agreement, one count of theft from a separate case, a Class A misdemeanor, was dismissed.
Just the day before his arrest on the alcohol charge, a Bluffton police officer was behind an Audi Bassett was driving north on Main Street when the officer decided to perform a license plate check on the Audi and discovered that its registered owner — Bassett — was not a licensed driver. He pulled the vehicle over in the parking lot of Lo Bob’s Tobacco.
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One-day jury trial set for March 22, 2023, for Terry Lee Carr, 48, Bluffton, charged with two counts of battery by bodily waste to a public safety officer, both Level 6 felonies; operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Level 6 felony; criminal mischief, a Class B misdemeanor; and disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Cenedra Shadawna Baker, 35, Fort Wayne, charged with driving while suspended with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Class A misdemeanor, and speeding, a Class C infraction. Allison Sprunger appointed public defender.
While monitoring traffic in Murray Sept. 1, a sheriff’s deputy spotted a vehicle travel from Ind. 116 onto 100E that appeared to be traveling faster than the posted speed limit. He pulled it over just north of Murray after clocking it at 63 mph-45 zone.
Baker was only able to supply the officer with an Indiana identification card and admitted her license was suspended.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Timothy Larson, 22, Bluffton, charged with disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor. Larry Mock appointed public defender.
On Aug. 29, a Bluffton police officer responded to a report of a dog barking continuously for the past five hours at Pine Grove apartments.
As the officer approached the apartment, he could hear a man yelling. There was also property scattered around outside of the apartment.
The man reportedly was Larson. He was allegedly upset that a female roommate’s dog had killed one of his ferrets. Officers reportedly ordered Larson to quiet down, but he reportedly continued to be loud. He was warned again or he would be arrested for disorderly conduct and he allegedly continued to be loud.
So he was arrested.
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Zachary Tyler-Cassidy West, 22, Servia, charged with driving while suspended with a prior conviction within the past 10 years, a Class A misdemeanor, and speeding, a Class C infraction, entered into a contract to withhold prosecution/pre-trial diversion.
Ordered to pay court costs, user’s fees, and the fines connected to three separate traffic tickets he received in Wabash County. He was also ordered to take all necessary steps to have his driving privileges restored.
While driving south on Main Street Aug. 30, a Bluffton police officer, driving a fully marked patrol car and in full uniform, noticed a vehicle approach on his right side and where Main Street’s five-lane narrows to three, West reportedly zipped out in front of the officer at 40 mph in a 30 zone. The officer then pulled his vehicle over near Spring Street.
West’s driver’s license was reportedly suspended indefinitely for failing to appear in court for a traffic citation.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Ronald J. Lucente, 30, Markle, charged with driving while suspended with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Class A misdemeanor, and operating a vehicle with a false and/or fictitious license plate, a Class C infraction. Larry Mock appointed public defender.
On Aug. 26, at Highland and Mill streets in Ossian, an Ossian police officer noticed an eastbound Chevrolet Celebrity with its license plate in the rear window of the vehicle rather than mounted where it was supposed to be. The officer pulled out and started to follow the vehicle.
The Celebrity turned south on Norwalt Street, then east on LaFever, then back north in an alley, then east on Mill Street.
The Ossian officer noted in his report to the court that it appeared that the driver of the vehicle — later identified as Lucente — was trying to elude being stopped.
The Cavalier was stopped at the red light, then proceeded eastbound on Mill, pulling over to the curb in the 200 block of East Mill — before the officer had turned on the emergency lights of his patrol vehicle.
Lucente then reportedly exited the Celebrity and started walking away from it at a brisk pace. The officer activated his patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and ordered Lucente back into the vehicle.
He had a prior conviction in Huntington County Superior Court for driving while suspended March 17.
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Probation transferred from Allen County to Wells County for Travis W. Ladd, 26, Ossian, on probation until Dec. 1, 2023, on charges of criminal recklessness, a Level 6 felony, and carrying a handgun without a license, a Class A misdemeanor.
Ordered to pay transfer fees and probation user’s fees.
Petition for dissolution filed in the marriage of Christa O’Neil, rural Bluffton, and Kaleb O’Neil, Bluffton.
Complaint for possession filed by Premier Flats apartments, Bluffton, against tenant Desmond Degen.
Complaint for payment of $3,230.13 filed by Capital One Bank, Grand Rapids, Mich., against Carly Terhune, rural Ossian.
Civil Cases
Complaint for payment of $7,064.91 filed by Credit Acceptance Corp., Columbus, Ohio, against Jay Knefelkamp, Bluffton.
Wells Circuit Court
Criminal Cases
Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Brandon L. Moffett, 34, Bluffton, charged with failure to register as a sex or violent offender with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Level 5 felony. Bond continued at $10,000.
On Aug. 9. Moffett reportedly went to the mayor’s office in City Hall to complain about the power to his residence being turned off. Bluffton police were requested as Moffett allegedly was very upset.
While speaking casually with Moffett, one of the officers asked him if he had a job. He reportedly admitted to the office that he had a new job. Later, the officer knowing that Moffett had to register as a sex offender, contacted the sex offender registration officer to see if Moffett had reported his new employment.
Allegedly he had not.
Civil Cases
Complaints for payment filed by LVNV Funding, Grand Rapids, Mich., against: James Graves, Ossian, $2,058.56; Lawrence Young, Bluffton, $2,917.89.
Complaints for payment filed by Jefferson Capital Systems, Golden, Colo., against: Matthew A. Azbill and Rizalyn Bigman, both of Ossian, $7,012.23; Gayland Grogg, Bluffton, $2,866.48.
Marriage Licenses
Briana Michelle Jones, 25, Zanesville, and Jacob Matthew Deck, 24, Zanesville.
Jasmine Elaine Hurry, Ossian, and Collin James Roller, 26, Ossian.
Mark Allan Cale, 57, rural Keystone, and Teddy Elaine Wike, 49, Huntington.
Cody Alan Ruch, 34, Bluffton, and Angel Kay Schug, 33, Bluffton.
