<![CDATA[Logan County, Ohio - Common Pleas Court Press Releases]]>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:27:57 -0400EditMySite<![CDATA[Whiting Sentenced on Three Drug-Related Felony Convictions]]>Thu, 05 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.logancountyohio.gov/common-pleas-court-press-releases/whiting-sentenced-on-three-drug-related-felony-convictions​Judge Kevin P. Braig of the Logan County Court of Common Pleas today sentenced Chase Whiting to 13 to 16.5 years in prison today on three drug-related felony convictions.
 
Pursuant to a plea agreement, Whiting pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, a felony of the first degree, illegal manufacture of drugs, a felony of the second degree, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a felony of the first degree.
 
Under state law, the court was required to impose mandatory prison terms for all three offenses. Further, the law required a mandatory minimum prison term of 11 years on the engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity conviction.
 
Logan County Assistant Prosecutor Nathan Yohey and Columbus-based defense counsel Luke Milligan jointly recommended the sentence and Judge Braig adopted the recommendation.
 
In addition, Judge Braig sentenced Megan M. Gross to 172 days in the Logan County jail on a probation violation on an aggravated possession of drugs conviction, a felony of the fifth degree. Gross violated her probation by failing to successfully complete programming in the Logan County Adult Recovery Court.]]><![CDATA[Logan Count ARC Graduates Seven]]>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.logancountyohio.gov/common-pleas-court-press-releases/logan-count-arc-graduates-seven
From left: Brandon Miller, Nate Clem, Adam Emrick, Judge Kevin P. Braig, Davante Smith, Patricia Haas, Brenda Shields, Jackie Bray
From left: Brandon Miller, Nate Clem, Adam Emrick, Judge Kevin P. Braig, Davante Smith, Patricia Haas, Brenda Shields, Jackie Bray
​Judge Kevin P. Braig and Logan County Court of Common Pleas Adult Recovery Court (ARC) Team are pleased to announce the graduation of Brenda Shields, Brandon Miller, Davante Smith, Adam Emrick, Patricia Haas, Nate Clem, and  Jackie Bray.
 
Family and friends joined with the graduates and the ARC Team on February 23 for a celebration at the Bellefontaine Presbyterian Church. The graduates reflected on their experiences in the ARC and their hopes for the future. Judge Braig also offered a few words about each graduate.
"Brenda Shields is one of the sweetest people who has ever come through the ARC," Judge Braig said.
 
"Brandon Miller put the 'adult' in 'Adult Recovery Court,'" Judge Braig said. "You can graduate simply by doing the recovery work. But we hope to see people grow into adults too. Brandon did so and I expect he will continue to grow."
 
"Davante Smith has come a long way. He has grown into a polite and respectful young man. I cold not be more proud of him," Judge Braig said.
 
"Adam Emrick is a pioneer," Judge Braig said. "He is our first graduate to complete the HVAC technician program at Emerge Recover in Xenia, Ohio. He is now a certified HVAC technician. I know it took courage for Adam to leave Logan County and blaze this trail for others. In doing so, he has made a lasting contribution to the program.
 
"Patricia Haas had to grow up fast. That can be difficult on a person. But she still has a light and good heart," Judge Braig said.
 
"Nate Clem went to Christopher House, got sober, and reunited with his family," Judge Braig said.
 
"Jackie Bray is a stronger graduate now than she was the first time she graduated. Sometimes the sequel is better than the original," Judge Braid said.
 
The ARC treatment team works within the framework of the traditional Logan County Common Pleas Court.  The ARC’s mission is to achieve specific, rehabilitative objectives. The objectives of the ARC are to monitor treatment for substance abuse disorder of ARC participants, encourage and incentivize ARC participants to achieve rehabilitation and personal accountability, and decrease criminal activity and the need for incarceration.
 
The ARC provides its participants with the support of Judge Braig, Treatment Coordinator and Program Manager Annette Deao, Compliance Officers Jim Pleasant, Mandy Wilber, and Gary Ledford, Logan County Jail liaisons Doug Boggs and Amber Pickford, and treatment providers from TCN Behavioral Health Services, Community Health Wellness, the Justice Reinvestment Grant, Logan County Assistant Prosecutor Erin Rosen, local attorney Natalie Bahan, and others.  The members of the ARC Team share the  goals of: (1) empowering ARC participants through treatment, accountability, and responsibility, (2) assisting ARC participants in achieving recovery from substance abuse disorder, and (3) helping ARC participants lead useful and productive lives.
]]><![CDATA[Small Convicted of Felony Child Endangering]]>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 13:47:47 GMThttps://www.logancountyohio.gov/common-pleas-court-press-releases/small-convicted-of-felony-child-endangering​A Logan County jury today convicted Abby L. Small of felony child endangering.
 
Logan County Assistant Prosecutor Nathan Yohey introduced testimony from a doctor at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus that in November of 2024 Small's daughter suffered from potentially life-threatening malnutrition. Based on the doctor's testimony and other evidence, the jury found that the girl suffered serious physical harm as a result of Small's reckless creation of a substantial risk to the health and safety of the child in violation of a duty of care, a felony of the third degree.
 
The jury also found Small guilty of a second count of child endangering, a misdemeanor of the first degree, and obstructing official business, a misdemeanor of the second degree. The later charge arose from Small's refusal to permit Logan County Sheriff Office deputies from seeing the children during a wellness check at Small's home on November 15, 2024.
 
Defense counsel Griff Nowicki of Dayton, Ohio, argued the prosecutor did not produce evidence that proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Small committed the offenses.
 
Judge Kevin P. Braig revoked Small's bond and remanded her to the Logan County Jail to await a sentencing hearing scheduled for March 31, 2026.]]><![CDATA[Judge Kevin P. Braig of the Logan County Court of Common Pleas General Division handed down three prison sentences yesterday.]]>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 15:16:05 GMThttps://www.logancountyohio.gov/common-pleas-court-press-releases/judge-kevin-p-braig-of-the-logan-county-court-of-common-pleas-general-division-handed-down-three-prison-sentences-yesterdayJudge Kevin P. Braig of the Logan County Court of Common Pleas General Division handed down three prison sentences yesterday.
​
In State v. David Rupert, the defendant received a maximum 18-month prison term on his conviction on menacing by stalking, a felony of the fourth degree, after he failed to successfully complete programming at the West Central Community Based Correction Facility. The discharge report from West Central stated that within 48 hours of arriving at the facility, the defendant was disruptive and placed in segregation and asked the staff what would be the greatest rule violation he could commit that would ensure that he would be kicked out of the facility.
 
In State v. James Holland, the court adopted the joint recommendation of the Logan County Prosector's Office and defense counsel and imposed an 18-month prison term on the defendant for three felony of the fourth degree convictions.
 
In State v. Jacob Ford, the defendant received a 24-month prison term on his conviction for aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the third degree. Logan County Assistant Prosecutor Erin Rosen requested a maximum 36-month prison term based on the defendant's past criminal history. Defendant counsel John Cunningham requested the Court place the defendant on community control and not impose any prison term.]]><![CDATA[Adult Recovery Court (ARC) Earns Final Certification from Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Specialized Dockets]]>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.logancountyohio.gov/common-pleas-court-press-releases/adult-recovery-court-arc-earns-final-certification-from-supreme-court-of-ohio-commission-on-specialized-dockets​The Adult Recovery Court (ARC) of the Logan County Court of Common Pleas has earned final certification from the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Specialized Dockets. To receive the certification, a local court submits a detailed application, undergoes a visit and report on its practices, and provides specific program materials in response to certification standards that went into effect in January 2014. The term of the certification is three years.

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy congratulated Judge Kevin P. Braig and ARC Program Director Annette Deao for the ARC meeting the standards required for final certification. "Specialized dockets offer an alternative to incarceration, and reflect a community's belief in second chances," said Chief Justice Kennedy. "They focus on people who are willing to work to overcome the personal challenges that led to their involvement in the justice system. The court and community partners work together to supervise treatment, training, and support, providing local solutions to local problems under leadership of the local court."

Courts with specialized dockets address specific treatment needs of people who are charged with a variety of offenses using recommended best practices that focus on offender accountability, behavior change and recovery. There are 255 certified dockets in Ohio. The certification standards provide a minimum level of uniform practices for specialized dockets throughout Ohio and allow local courts to innovate and tailor programs to meet their community's needs and resources.

The Commission on Specialized Dockets has 22 members to advise the Supreme Court and its staff regarding the statewide rules and uniform standards concerning specialized dockets in Ohio courts; the development and delivery of specialized docket services to Ohio courts; and the creation of training programs for judges and court personnel. The commission makes all decisions regarding final certification.

"The participants in ARC and the treatment team have established a strong recovery community in Logan County, and I am excited to see it continue to grow," Judge Braig said. "Mrs. Deao, compliance officers Jim Pleasant, Mandy Wilber, and Gary Ledford, and partners like the Logan County Jail, the Vivian Kunz House, the Recovery Zone, and their people have been instrumental in helping participants get on and stay on the path of recovery. We are all happy that the Supreme Court has recognized the ARC's commitment to meeting the requirements of certification."

The ARC received its certification from the Supreme Court just a few weeks after the Sundance Film Festival announced its acceptance of the motion picture "Union County," which dramatizes the Court's recovery docket. The film was shot in May during sessions of the ARC and at other locations in Logan County. It stars Will Poulter and Noah Centineo as brothers and participants in the recovery court. Deao, Judge Braig, and ARC participants appear in the picture.

"It is Annette's and Director Adam Meeks' movie," Judge Braig said. "Annette and Adam collaborated to bring their vision of recovery to the big screen. Adam told me it was a 'thrill of a lifetime' to have it accepted for screening at Sundance. Annette has done so much for Logan County for decades. To see her life's work turned into a motion picture brings great joy to everyone who is involved in the ARC. This movie would not exist without her."

​The Sundance Film Festival reportedly received over 16,000 films for consideration and selected 160 for screening at the festival, which will run from January 22, 2026, to February 1, 2026, in Park City, Utah.]]><![CDATA[Logan County Jury Finds Court Lacked Venue on Rape Charge; Convicts Sholty of Gross Sexual Imposition]]>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 01:41:02 GMThttps://www.logancountyohio.gov/common-pleas-court-press-releases/logan-county-jury-finds-court-lacked-venue-on-rape-charge-convicts-sholty-of-gross-sexual-impositionA Logan County jury today convicted Triston Sholty of South Bend, Indiana, on the charge of gross sexual imposition, felony of the fourth degree, but found that the State of Ohio failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Logan County was the correct county in which to try the State's charge of rape, a felony of the first degree.
 
The jury deliberated for over three hours. Prior to rendering its verdict, the jury sent a note to Logan County Court of Common Pleas Judge Kevin P. Braig indicating that the jury was having difficulty reaching a unanimous verdict. Judge Braig returned the jury to courtroom and instructed the jury further. The jury then reached its verdict.
 
Sholty and the victim were acquainted with one another via their mutual participation in gaming on the "X-box live" platform.
 
On November 30, 2019, Sholty traveled to Logan County, and he and the victim traveled to Springfield in Clark County, Ohio, for dinner. They went to a Walmart store in Springfield after dinner, and the conduct that gave rise to the offenses commenced in Clark County. The State contended venue was proper in Logan County on the rape charge because Sholty's conduct in Clark County was part of the same chain of events as the conduct that occurred in Logan County. But the jury did not see it that way.
 
Judge Braig ordered a pre-sentence investigation and report and scheduled a sentencing hearing on the conviction for January 8, 2026.
 
Logan County Assistant Prosecutor Nathan Yohey represented the State of Ohio and criminal defense attorney Griff Nowicki of Dayton, Ohio, represented Sholty.]]><![CDATA[Inskeep Sentenced to 7 to 8 years]]>Tue, 18 Nov 2025 21:46:27 GMThttps://www.logancountyohio.gov/common-pleas-court-press-releases/inskeep-sentenced-to-7-to-8-years​Judge Kevin P. Braig of the Logan County Court of Common Pleas today sentenced Sylvia Inskeep to 7 to 8 years in prison on multiple felonies involving possession of methamphetamine and the burglary of a farmhouse near West Liberty, Ohio. Judge Braig also ordered Inskeep to pay $1,500 in restitution to the victim of the burglary.
 
On October 10, 2025, a Logan County jury convicted Inskeep of complicity to burglary, complicity to three counts of grand theft of firearms, and complicity to two counts of aggravated possession of drugs. The jury found that Inskeep aided and abetted Edward Morgan in committing the offenses. Evidence presented to the jury included a video of Inskeep using methamphetamine with Morgan in the parking lot of the McDonald's on South Main Street the afternoon of the burglary.
 
Judge Braig called the offenses "serious crimes" and found that the victims suffered serious economic, mental, and emotional harm that the conduct of Inskeep and Morgan resembled organized crime in the manner in which it was coordinated and carried out. Judge Braig also noted that Inskeep was out on bond on an indictment in Union County at the time she committed the offenses in Logan County.
 
At the sentencing hearing and in her statement in her pre-sentence investigation report, Inskeep minimized her role in the crimes and stated she would not have been involved but for her "toxic relationship" with Morgan. Inskeep also indicated she will appeal the jury's verdict and her sentence.
 
Previously, Judge Braig sentenced Morgan to 15 to 18 years in prison for his role in the offenses and another burglary.
 
Logan County Prosecutors Nathan Yohey and Nick Williams represented the State of Ohio.
 
Defense counsel Addie King of Urbana, Ohio, represented Inskeep.]]><![CDATA[Monk Sentenced to 30 Years to Life]]>Mon, 17 Nov 2025 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.logancountyohio.gov/common-pleas-court-press-releases/monk-sentenced-to-30-years-to-life​Judge Kevin P. Braig of the Logan County Court of Common Peas today sentenced Jeremiah JW Monk to an aggregate mandatory prison term of 30 years to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, felonies of the first degree, two counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, felonies of the second degree, and sexual conduct with an animal, a misdemeanor of the second degree.]]><![CDATA[Jury finds Sylvia L. Inskeep complicit in burglary, weapons theft, drug possession]]>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 13:25:54 GMThttps://www.logancountyohio.gov/common-pleas-court-press-releases/jury-finds-sylvia-l-inskeep-complicit-in-burglary-weapons-theft-drug-possessionA Logan County jury today convicted Sylvia L. Inskeep of complicity to one count of burglary, three counts of grand theft of firearms, two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, and four one-year firearm specifications. The offenses are felonies of the second and third degree.
 
The jury found that on September 1, 2024, and October 29, 2024, Inskeep aided and abetted Edward Morgan in possessing methamphetamine. The State of Ohio's evidence included September 1 surveillance video from McDonald's on South Main Street that showed Inskeep and Morgan together on the afternoon of the burglary. The video also appeared to show Inskeep and Morgan using drugs in the parking lot. The State found Morgan's DNA on a cigarette butt and water bottle at the scene of the burglary on County Road 1. Morgan stole three firearms from the residence during the evening of September 1 while the homeowner was attending an event outside his home.

On September 1, after the burglary, Morgan abandoned Inskeep's red Cheverolet Cruze behind the Bellefontaine Elementary School after Bellefontaine Police Officer Kollin Stollar spotted the vehicle operating at night with its lights off. A person fled from the vehicle into the surrounding woods when Officer Stollar approached. Officer Stollar found the three stolen firearms in a bag in the trunk of the vehicle.

The State produced evidence that while law enforcement was investigating the abandoned vehicle, Inskeep arrived with her husband and identified the vehicle has their property. During the investigation, Inskeep provided law enforcement with a cell phone number. The State produced evidence that, while the investigation proceeded, Inskeep sent text messages to Morgan from that cell phone to inform him of the investigation and to attempt to arrange to pick him up.

On August 5, 2025, Logan County Court of Common Pleas Judge Kevin P. Braig sentenced Morgan to an aggregate 15 to 18 years in prison for his role in the felony of the F2 aggravated possession of drugs and the F2 burglary and another burglary. 

After the jury returned its verdict against Inskeep, Judge Braig revoked Inskeep's bond and ordered that she await sentencing in the Logan County Jail. He ordered a pre-sentence investigation and scheduled a sentencing hearing for November 18, 2025, at 11 AM. The F2 complicity to aggravated possession of drugs and the firearm specifications carry mandatory prison time.

Logan County Assistant Prosecutors Nathan Yohey and Nick Williams represented the State. The Bellefontaine Police Department and the Logan County Sheriff's Office combined to investigate and solve the crimes. 

Defense counsel Addie King of Urbana, Ohio, represented Inskeep.]]><![CDATA[Paul MD Anderson Sentenced]]>Fri, 03 Oct 2025 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.logancountyohio.gov/common-pleas-court-press-releases/paul-md-anderson-sentenced​Judge Kevin P. Braig of the Logan County Court of Common Pleas today sentenced Paul MD Anderson to 30 years-to-life in prison on two convictions of rape, felonies of the first degree, and another conviction for pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor or impaired person, a felony of the second degree.
 
Logan County Prosecutor Eric Stewart and Anderson's defense attorney, Griff Nowicki of Dayton, jointly recommended the sentence. Judge Braig adopted the joint recommendation.
 
Before a full courtroom, Judge Braig took Anderson's plea and dismissed four other charges on the motion of Prosecutor Eric Stewart. With the agreement of Stewart and Nowicki, Judge Braig proceeded to sentencing.
 
Prosecutor Stewart read a letter from the victim and her sister and the victim's mother, aunt, and grandmother verbally addressed to the Court. Anderson's sister also verbally addressed the Court.
 
Anderson visibly trembled when he verbally addressed the Court and expressed remorse for his actions.]]>