Wells Superior Court
Criminal Cases
Jennifer Renee Ostovich, 37, Hartford City, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony; possession of marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor; driving while suspended with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Class A misdemeanor; and false informing, a Class B misdemeanor.
Sentenced to 912 days in prison on the felony charge, 194 days each in the Wells County Jail on the A misdemeanor charges; and 180 days in the Wells County Jail on the B misdemeanor.
All of the sentences are to be served concurrently, but consecutively to a sentence meted in Allen Superior Court. Credited for 194 days spent in confinement awaiting disposition of her case.
Placed on probation for one year.
Ordered to comply with and complete the Grace and Mercy House treatment and report to authorities in Darke County, Ohio, and resolve all outstanding warrants in the next 60 days, submit a DNA sample, pay a $200 drug interdiction fee, court costs and probation fees.
A Bluffton police officer, acting on information he had received prior, was on the lookout for Ostovich Nov. 18, 2021, when he reported spotting her driving a Chevrolet Cruze in front of his patrol vehicle. He followed the vehicle until it drove into the parking lot of Save-On Liquor on South Main Street. He drove on by and parked in alley and waited for Ostovich to leave.
When she did, he followed her vehicle to the Linger Inn on South Main Street and pulled in behind it. Ostovich reportedly exited the vehicle and started to walk away from the officer. He told her to stop and asked Ostovich her name. She allegedly replied that it was Miranda. The officer told her that lying about her identity was a felony and again asked Ostovich her name. She then reportedly replied that it was Jennifer.
As Ostovich was being booked into the Wells County Jail, jailers reportedly found substances that appeared to be methamphetamine and marijuana in her hand bag.
Ostovich had a prior conviction in Wells Superior Court for driving while suspended April 10, 2018 and am prior conviction in Jay County Superior Court for possessing marijuana Nov. 7, 2011.
Civil Cases
Complaint for payment of $1,780.92 filed by LVNV Funding, Grand Rapids, Mich., against Jerrald L. Couch, Bluffton.
Wells Circuit Court
Civil Cases
Judgment and listing of tax sale filed. Listed: Connie L. Thompson for property at 10092S-200W, Keystone, $2,217.58; Carla L. Capper for property at the corner of Ohio Street and 1000S Keystone, $436.14; Carla L. Capper for property at 10039S-Ohio St., Keystone, $288.75; Elizabeth M. Bisel, for property at 5671S-100E, Bluffton, $2,094.77; Justin B. Smith, for property at 4662N-800E, Decatur (Wells County), $2,429.20; Jeffrey R. Powell for property at 2408N-East St., Craigville, $477.76; Lisa K. McPherson, for property at 0679NW-Ind. 116, Uniondale, $1,698.99; Glenn Masterson and Lois Ruby for .92 acres on the east side of Ind. 116 in Murray, $422.98; Laura K. Pierce, for property at 1202 W. South St., Bluffton, $2,103.29; David A. Patricia M. Saalfrank, 410 Meadow Lane, Bluffton, $3,412.16; William B. and Sarah E. Ball, for property at 508 Lamar Street, $1,359.22; Marvin and Rebecca Bradtmueller, for property at 709 Melching Dribe, Ossian, $843.88; Larry G. and Sheryl L. Hartman, for property at 5835 S. Meridian Rd., Poneto; and Your First Choice LLC, for property at the corner of Washington Street and Meridian Road, Poneto, $351.67. The total of delinquent tax owed is $21,467.57.
Complaints for payment filed by Portfolio Recovery Associates, Vernon Hills, Ill., against: Ashley Zoda, Bluffton, $5,592.57; Tonia Paris, Bluffton, $1,009.25.
Complaint for payment of $854.63 filed by Midland Credit Management, Louisville, Ky., against Valerie Sager, Bluffton.
Complaint for payment of $1,803.26 filed by Jefferson Capital Systems LLC, Golden, Colo., against Kyle Crosby, Poneto.
Petition for dissolution filed in the marriage of Heather Richardson, Bluffton, and Bradley Richardson, Bluffton.
Complaints for payment filed by LVNV Funding, Grand Rapids, Mich., against: Debra Fouts, rural Warren, $1,835.81; Pamela Weisenburger, Bluffton, $873.50.
Complaint for payment of $5,518.45 filed by Portfolio Recovery Associates, Norfolk, Va., against Joyce Paxson, Bluffton.
Complaint for payment of $9,331.69 filed by American Express National Bank, New York, N.Y., against Jeremy Hartman, Bluffton.
Complaint for payment of $1,057.43 filed by Farmers and Merchants State Bank, Archbold, Ohio, as successor by merger to Ossian State Bank, against Brent Arnold, Bluffton.
Complaint for payment of $5,009.66 filed by Mariner Finance LLC, Fort Wayne, against Jerry Loar, Ossian.
Petition for dissolution filed in the marriage of Orville D. Haiflich, rural Ossian, and Laura L. Haiflich, rural Ossian.
Complaint for payment of $12,975.82 filed by Discover Bank, New Albany, Ohio, against Kristin L. Bennett, Ossian.
Petition for dissolution filed in the marriage of Debra J. Long, Bluffton, and Jerry Straka Long, Bluffton.
Complaint for permanent injunction, fines and an order to abate a nuisance filed by City of Bluffton against Jayne E. Schoeff, rural Bluffton, for property located at 427 W. Lancaster St. The suit, filed Sept. 28, is for enforcement of the city’s illegal storage of junk ordinance. The suit seeks that the defendants be permanently enjoined from maintaining a public nuisance on the real estate, be assessed fines for each day the violation continues, for the court to enter an order authorizing the city to enter upon the real estate and abate the nuisance, for the court to award the city its attorney’s fees and collection cost, for the court to award court costs and any sheriff’s fee in favor of the city, and for the court to award the city all other just and proper relief in the premises.
Petition for dissolution filed in the marriage of Kourtney J. Townsend, Ossian, and Amanda J. Townsend, Middletown.
Petition for name change filed by Royce Mason, Bluffton, on behalf of minor child Laila Chea Stein, seeking to change the child’s name to Laila Chea Mason.
Marriage Licenses
Patrick Brian Geyer, 59, Bluffton, and Tina Louise Scott, 51, Bluffton.
Jeremy Robert Eckert, 46, rural Markle, and Jessica Marie Hunt, 46, Bluffton.
Erick Scott Patton, 28, Zanesville, and Allysa Rae Brothers, 28, Zanesville.
Kimberly S. Carpenter, 34, rural Ossian, and Zachary Charles White, 40, Ossian.
Keeley Ann Zaugg, 30, rural Bluffton, and Ryan Neal Glenn, 35, rural Bluffton.
Derek Duane Humphrey, 35, Bluffton, and Sara Marie Sexton, 35, Bluffton.
Reports Filed
Reports of receipts and expenditures of a political committee have been filed with the Wells County Clerk’s office by:
• Stephanie Tucker for Town Council Committee, Stephanie Tucker, Ossian, Libertarian, seeking election to the Ossian Town Council At-Large office.
For the period beginning April 9 and ending Oct. 14, 2022, the committee showed no cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period, $5,138 in itemized contributions and receipts; no unitemized contributions or receipts; $5,068.15 in itemized expenditures; no unitemized expenditures; and concluded the reporting period with $69.85 in cash on hand.
The committee owed no debt.
Itemized contributions were received from: Bert Coffield, Ossian, $203; Russell Mounsey, rural Keystone, $500; the candidate herself, $2,785; Teresa Ortiz, Ossian, $100; Robert Frantz, Bluffton, $650; Dennis Bunn, Ossian, $200; Alice Dinovo, Ossian, $100; Barb Rigney, Bluffton, $500; Dawn Dechsle, Ossian, $50; and Rebecca Meyer, Ossian, $50.
Itemized expenditures were to: Ossian Days Inc., Ossian, $158.75 for festival; Baller Signs, Bluffton, $1,944.12, for signs; Spangler Candy Company, Bryan, Ohio, $153.69, for candy; Solstice, Entertainment, Fort Wayne, $861.59, for T-shirts; Midland LLC, Bluffton, $1,950 for billboard rental.
• Huggins for Indiana, Steven Richard Huggins, rural Bluffton, Republican, for Wells County Council District 2.
For the period beginning April 9 and ending Dec. 31, 2022, the committee showed no cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period; no itemized contributions or receipts, no unitemized contributions or receipts; no itemized expenditures; no unitemized expenditures; and ended the reporting period with no cash on hand.
The committee owed no debt.
• Re-elect Beth Davis for Circuit Court Clerk, Beth Davis, rural Montpelier, Republican, for Wells Circuit Court Clerk.
For the period beginning April 9 and ending Oct. 14, 2022, the committee showed no cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period; no itemized contributions or receipts, no unitemized contributions or receipts; no itemized expenditures; no unitemized expenditures; and ended the reporting period with no cash on hand.
The committee owed no debt.
