Facing two separate criminal cases in the Starke Circuit Court, 41-year-old Mark Wilson of Grovertown was present for his plea and sentencing hearing before Judge Kim Hall.
In his first case, Wilson was charged with Dealing in Methamphetamine, a Class B Felony. As part of a plea agreement, other charges against him, Possession of Precursors and Possession of Marijuana, were dismissed.
Judge Hall accepted this agreement, sentencing Wilson to eight years in the Department of Corrections. He must also complete the Cliff program, and if he does so successfully, he may petition the court to modify his sentence.
In his second case, Wilson was charged with Strangulation, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Domestic Battery following a confrontation with Lisa Kisler in which he applied pressure to her throat and neck while she had been sharing his residence.
Judge Hall accepted a plea agreement sentencing Wilson to 24 months in the Department of Corrections for the charge of Strangulation, 24 months in the Department of Corrections for Possession of Meth, and 12 months in the Starke County Jail for the charge of Domestic Battery to run concurrently. He is prohibited from making any contact with the victim, and is required to pay $6,683.11 in restitution.
The sentences for each separate case will run consecutively, giving Wilson a total of ten years in the Department of Corrections with none of that time suspended. He was given credit for 116 days served in jail.
Gerald Boyd, 43, of Knox, plead guilty as part of an agreement to Possession of Cocaine and Resisting Law Enforcement. A charge of Dealing in Cocaine was dismissed.
Judge Hall accepted the plea agreement, sentencing him to three years in the Department of Corrections for the drug charge, and one year in the Starke County Jail for the charge of Resisting Law Enforcement, totaling four years to be served with none of that sentence suspended. He is also required to pay a $250 drug interdiction fee, as well as submit to a cheek swab for the state DNA databank.
Judge Hall credited him with 124 served. Boyd also has a pending charge for Burglary in Starke County, and other theft charges in Marshall County. He will reappear in court tomorrow for his pending burglary case.
Ioan Sirghi, 57, plead guilty to Receiving Stolen Property as part of a plea agreement reached with the state, with a dismissed charge of Trespassing. These charges stem from an incident that occurred on May 2, when he purchased a Marlin semi-automatic rifle that turned out to have been stolen.
Because he had no prior criminal record, he received a suspended sentence of 18 months in the Department of Corrections, with those 18 months to be served on probation. Judge Hall also told him that he must complete all recommended programs and, after their successful completion, he may petition the court for the D felony to be dropped to an A misdemeanor and the state will not object. He will also be required to submit to a DNA cheek swab, and he was credited for four days spent in jail.
Knox resident Luther Nies, 22, plead guilty to Theft as a Class D felony after stealing a full gas can from a local business on May 24 to put in his vehicle that had run empty.
Nies will spend the next year on probation, with a suspended sentence of 12 months in the Department of Corrections hanging over his head. As part of his sentence, Nyes will also be required to submit to a DNA cheek swab, and $100 will be taken from the $250 cash bond that had been posted. Following successful completion of any recommended programs, he may petition the court for the felony to be reduced to a misdemeanor.
