Couple get 15 years in pot case

Judge Robert L. Koffman heard the following cases in Pettis County Circuit Court Monday.

William Sindelar, 45, no address available. was sentenced to 15 years in prison on several felonies related to the selling marijuana. Pettis County Sheriff’s Deputies Tolbert Rowe and Mark Morgan served a search warrant at the defendant’s home on Schenck Road Sept. 11, 2007 and found him and his wife Carmen Sindelar in possession of a large quantity of marijuana.
The two admitted they distributed the marijuana at the direction of another person. No charges were initially filed against the Sindelars because they cooperated with the investigation.
Then, on May 13, deputies again went to the Sindelar home and found that they were cultivating several small marijuana plants. Charges were filed on both the Sept. 11 and the May 13 events.
The court retained jurisdiction to consider probation if the defendant successfully completes the Institutional Treatment Program.
Carmen Sindelar is serving a 15-year sentence with possible release on probation if she successfully completes the program. Katherine Adkins, 34, of Sedalia, pleaded guilty to forgery of checks totaling nearly $1,000, written on Donna Dement’s checking account in October and November, 2007. Adkins admitted to Sedalia Det. Jill Green that she forged and passed the checks. She was sentenced to five years in prison.

Brian Vinyard, 25, Kansas City, pleaded guilty to four attempted burglary offenses and two burglaries in connection with a series of business break-ins investigated by both the Sedalia Police Department and the Pettis County Sheriff’s Department. Vinyard  was arrested on July 12 when Sedalia Police Officer Larry Parham found him at a doorway into the basement of Broadway Lanes, 2119 W. Broadway Blvd., with a pry bar.
Vinyard was charged with that offense and posted bond.
He was again arrested July 18 when Pettis County Sheriff’s Deputy John Hammond found the defendant near the Roto Rooter building on East Broadway at 3:30 a.m. Investigation showed that an attempt had been made to enter the building through a hole in the garage door.
On the same morning, Sedalia police checked a report of an attempted burglary at Cork ’N Bottle, 3806 E. Highway 50, of an that occurred about 3 a.m. A video recording showed Vinyard looking through a window and then throwing an object at the window.
During questioning by Sedalia Detectives Stephanie Davis and Ron Parrish, Vinyard admitted a break-in at Fortune Palace, 3005 S. Limit Ave., on June 19; another break-in at Broadway Lanes on July 1; and an attempted burglary at Little Big Horn, 1629 S. Main St., July 4.
Judge Koffman sentenced Vinyard to seven years in prison.
Joseph Aslin, 29, of Sedalia, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance. Officer Casey DeVorss, of the Sedalia Police Department, stopped him for a traffic offense April 15 and then arrested him on an outstanding warrant. Officer Matt Sprinkles found a small amount of methamphetamine in the defendant’s possession. The judge ordered a sentence assessment report and scheduled sentencing for Nov. 3.

Jeremiah Brake,  21, of Pevely, pleaded guilty to stealing from Wal-Mart July 11. He was in a vehicle stopped by Sprinkles for a traffic violation. Sprinkles found a large amount of Dickies brand clothing in Wal-Mart sacks. A review of video recordings at Wal-Mart showed the defendant and others selecting the items of clothing and placing them in a large trash can, which the defendant took from the store. Brake was sentenced to 120 days in jail. Charges against two co-defendants remain pending.

Jeremy Faulk, 28, of Lincoln, was sentenced to three years in prison for passing bad checks after his probation was revoked. He was placed on probation after pleading guilty to passing a bad check for $1,181. His probation was revoked because he failed to report to his probation officer and absconded from supervision.

Christian Findley, 33, of Sedalia, was sentenced to two years in prison for criminal non-support. He pleaded guilty to the offense in April. He was denied probation because he failed to pay child support as ordered between his guilty plea and the sentencing date.

Cynthia V. Milene,  52, Sedalia, was sentenced to 180 days in jail for possession of methamphetamine and making a false report. On Oct. 8, she reported to Sedalia Police Officer Joshua Howell that her ex-boyfriend had a methamphetamine pipe in his van parked in an alley in the 200 block of South Moniteau. After receiving consent to search, Howell found a homemade pipe with a small amount of meth residue in the van. Milene admitted she planted the pipe in the van and then tipped off police because she was angry with her boyfriend. She was found guilty trial without a jury July 1.

Donald Eric Rhodes, 35, Sedalia, pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of child pornography, admitting that on March 16 he possessed four images of child pornography. Pettis County Sheriff’s Sgt. Tolbert Rowe investigated the matter after the images were found on Rhodes’ cell phone. Rhodes was sentenced to five years in prison. The offenses were class C felonies because the defendant was convicted of a similar offense in 2001.

McHenry Sellers,  20, of Georgia, was placed on probation for five years for receiving stolen property. He was arrested May 15 when Sedalia Police Officer Daniel Banner recovered from Sellers car stereo equipment worth over $500 that had recently been stolen from Bobby Anderson. Sellers made restitution for the loss.

Carlos Staten, 21, Sedalia, pleaded guilty to attempt to escape from custody. On July 8, Sedalia Police Sgt. Phil Stewart arrested the defendant on an outstanding warrant. Ashe was being taken from the Sheriff’s Department’s sally port into the building, he slipped one hand from a handcuff and ran from the officer, who quickly apprehended him near the garage door into the sally port area. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail.