Judge hears criminals cases

Judge Robert L. Koffman heard these cases Aug. 4, 2008, according to Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Mittelhauser:

•Misty D. Adair, 30, of Sedalia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison with placement in the Institutional Treatment Program on a charge of possession of a controlled substance.  She was arrested Jan. 4 when the Sedalia Police Department's Drug Enforcement Unit served a search warrant at her home at 1101 S. Moniteau Ave. and found a small amount of methamphetamine. Her prior felony drug conviction in the Circuit Court of Benton County in 2001 extended the range of punishment.

•Steven Bailey, 26, of Sedalia, pleaded guilty to domestic assault in the third degree, admitting that on March 23 he injured Heather Simmons-McCoy by striking her. The prosecuting attorney recommended a 90 day jail sentence. Sentencing was set for Aug. 18.

•Linda Crain, 56, of Cole Camp, pleaded guilty to assault in the second degree, admitting she was intoxicated when she caused a collision on Highway 65 south of Sedalia on Feb. 27. She was traveling north in the southbound lanes and struck a vehicle occupied by seven people. Three of the passengers were injured. Sentencing was set for Sept. 23.

•Demetrius Gray, 24, of Sedalia, pleaded guilty to unlawful use of drug paraphernalia and was sentenced to 180 days in jail. He was arrested Dec. 7 when Sedalia police served a search warrant at 237B S. Stewart Ave. Gray was one of several people present in the apartment. Officers found drug paraphernalia and small amounts of controlled substances throughout the apartment.

•Joseph Johnson, 29, of La Monte, pleaded guilty to three charges of driving with a revoked license. He was arrested March 18 by Deputy John Hammond, April 22 by Trooper Mark DeGraffenreid and April 26 by Sedalia Police Officers Daniel Keltner and Cameron Egan. The charges were felonies because Johnson had at least four prior convictions. The prosecuting attorney recommended a one-year county jail sentence, and sentencing was set for Sept. 2.

•James D. Kohrs, 28, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for robbery in the second degree and five years for attempted elder abuse in the second degree in connection with the robbery of a Sedalia woman in her home on East Broadway Boulevard Oct. 14.  After Minnie Cummins allowed Kohrs into her home to use the phone, he pushed her to the floor, struck her in the face and stole her purse. Cummins was bruised in the attack but was not seriously injured.  Sedalia Police Detective Ron Parrish recovered the stolen purse at the apartment where Kohrs had been staying. When confronted with the purse, Kohrs admitted that he had stolen it, although he denied intentionally hurting the victim.

•John Maupins, 26, of Sedalia, was admitted into the Drug Court program on a felony marijuana charge. He was arrested for a traffic violation Sept. 15 by Sedalia Police Officer Aaron Berry, who found about four ounces of marijuana and a set of scales in the center console of the vehicle. Maupins pleaded guilty to unlawful use of drug paraphernalia and was sentenced to 40 days in jail.  If he successfully completes the Drug Court Program, the felony charge will be dismissed.

•Jacob Nicholson, 20, of Sedalia, pleaded guilty to resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, admitting he fled from Trooper Mark DeGraffenreid Feb. 10 when the officer tried to stop him for a traffic offense. In fleeing, he reached speeds of 70 mph on McVey Road and ran the stop sign at McVey and Route M. Nicholson eventually left his vehicle when it became stuck in the mud and was caught by DeGraffenreid and Pettis County Sheriff's Deputy Jerry Hunter. Officers found a small amount of methamphetamine in Nicholson’s pocket. The endangering charge stemmed from the fact that one passenger in the vehicle was younger than 17.  Nicholson as sentenced to four years on the resisting arrest charge, seven  years for possession, and seven years for endangering the welfare of a child.

Nicholson also pleaded guilty to drug charges arising from a June 13 investigation by the Pettis County Sheriff's Department. Sgt. Tolbert Rowe and other deputies arrested Nicholson after receiving information that he was delivering methamphetamine to an apartment on West 10th Street. Deputies found about 16 grams of methamphetamine in his possession. An additional, smaller quantity of the drug was located when he was searched at the jail.  He was sentenced to nine years in prison for possession with intent to deliver and seven years for possession of a controlled substance in a jail facility.

•McHenry Sellers, 20, of Georgia, pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property, admitting that on May 15 he possessed car stereo equipment worth over $500 which had been stolen from Bobby Anderson.  Sedalia Police Officer Daniel Benner recovered some of the stolen property from the defendant's vehicle.  Sentencing was set for Sept. 2.

•Kimberly Stout, 37, of Sedalia, was sentenced to seven years in prison for delivery of a controlled substance.  She pleaded guilty May 19, admitting she knowingly permitted sales of crack cocaine in her home at 1300 S. Moniteau Ave. in February. Sedalia police served a search warrant at Stout’s home on Feb. 22. Officers found crack cocaine and evidence that the drug was being packaged, sold and used in the home. The court ordered the defendant to enter the Institutional Treatment Program and reserved jurisdiction to consider probation after 120 days.

•Christopher Whittington, 42, of Sedalia, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a controlled substance, admitting he had methamphetamine on Jan. 16 and again on July 29.  On Jan. 16, Pettis County Sheriff's deputies Mark Morgan and Ron Finnell arrested the defendant for stealing gas from a pickup truck parked on Rissler Road and found meth residue on a jar in Whittington’s vehicle. On July 29, Morgan stopped Whittington for a traffic violation. Sedalia Police Detective Cameron Egan, who backed up deputies on the stop, seized a syringe containing methamphetamine from Whittington’s pocket. He was sentenced to four years in prison on the drug charges and 30 days in jail for stealing gasoline.

•Mary C. Williams, 31, of Lincoln, pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident.  She admitted that on June 15, 2007, she struck a car parked on 10th Street and left without notifying the owner. The imposition of sentence was suspended and Williams was placed on probation for five years with requirements that she serve 90 days in jail as shock detention and pay restitution.
•Terry Sue Williams, 33, of Sedalia, was sentenced to two years in prison on forgery charges. On July 7, she pleaded guilty to forging three checks on Alexis Arnwine’s account in early November.