Disposition in case related to Boone county death
In Greene County district court a judgment was entered Jan. 28 against Larry Lee Warren Varnell, 21, of Churdan in a case related to an investigation of a fatal one vehicle accident in Boone County last September. Varnell was charged in Greene County with driving while license barred and providing alcohol to a person under age. On the driving while barred charge, Varnell was sentenced to prison for two years. The prison term was suspended and he was placed on probation for two years. He was fined $625 with a $218.75 surcharge. The fine and surcharge were also suspended, but Varnell must pay $120 restitution for his court appointed attorney’s fees and $147.68 court costs.
The charge of providing alcohol minor, a misdemeanor for which a $500 fine is the maximum penalty, was dismissed. According to court documents, Varnell allegedly provided alcohol to two minors Sept. 13. One of them, Aaron Beaman, 20, of Jefferson died in a one vehicle accident in the early hours of Sept. 14 in Boone County. Varnell pleaded guilty in January to a Boone County charge of providing alcohol to a person under age resulting in death. The investigation provided evidence that Varnell had purchased beer for Beaman and another under age person in Greene County. The Greene County charge is related to the second individual. Sentencing in the Boone County case is scheduled for Feb. 27.
As part of a plea agreement in the Greene County case, three other charges of driving while license barred, all of them after the first charge was filed in October, were dismissed. (Sentencing: Honorable Adria A. Kester)
Richard Dean Tuhn Jr, 36, of Grand Junction was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he changed his plea to guilty to a charge of burglary-second degree. He was sentenced to two years in prison after he changed his plea to guilty to a charge of domestic abuse. The terms were to be concurrent to each other and to the sentence in another Greene County case in which Tuhn was charged with domestic abuse in July 2014. All but two days of the prison time was suspended. Tuhn was placed on probation until the maximum benefit is attained, but not longer than five years. He was fined $1,000 with a $350 surcharge on the burglary charge and $625 with a $218.75 surcharge on the domestic abuse charge. The fines and surcharges were suspended. He must complete a batterers treatment program at his own expense. Tuhn must also pay a $125 Law Enforcement Initiative surcharge, $600 restitution for his court appointed attorney’s fees, and $730.72 court costs. (Sentencing: Honorable Gary McMinimee)
Heather Thelma Ott, 33, of Jefferson was sentenced Jan. 26 after she changed her plea to guilty to a charge of delivery of methamphetamine. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The prison term was suspended and she was placed on probation until the maximum benefit is attained, but not longer than five years. She must participate in a recommended substance abuse program and her driver’s license was revoked for 180 days. Ott was fined $1,000 with a $350 surcharge; the fine and surcharge were suspended. She must pay a $10 surcharge for drug abuse resistance education (DARE), a $125 LEI surcharge, $181 court costs, and restitution for her court appointed attorney’s fees to be determined. (Sentencing: McMinimee)
Matthew James Cummings, 27, of Jefferson was sentenced to two years in prison after he changed his plea to guilty to assault-aggravated. The prison term was suspended and he was placed on probation for two years. He was fined $625 with a $218.75 surcharge; the fine and surcharge were suspended. He must pay restitution for his court appointed attorney in an amount not to exceed $550. Court costs were $156.50. (Sentencing: Kester)
Lawrence Shannon O’Neal, 39, of Grand Junction was sentenced to two years in prison after he changed his plea to guilty to a charge of operating while intoxicated (OWI)-second offense. All but seven days of the prison term was suspended and he was placed on probation for two years. He must complete the recommendations of a substance abuse evaluation and he must enroll in a community college drinking drivers course at his own expense. O’Neal was fined $1,875 with a $656.25 surcharge and a $10 DARE surcharge. He must pay restitution for his court appointed attorney’s fees in an amount not yet determined and $100 court costs. (Sentencing: Kester)
A judgment was entered against Jacob Stanley Eischeid, 22, of Jefferson after he changed his plea to guilty to a charge of possession of marijuana-first offense. He was sentenced to two days in jail. The jail time was suspended and he was placed on informal probation for one year. He must undergo a substance abuse evaluation and complete any recommended treatment at his own expense. His driver’s license was revoked for 180 days. Eischeid was fined $315 with a $110.25 surcharge. He must also pay a $10 DARE surcharge and a $125 LEI surcharge, along with $90 restitution for his court appointed attorney’s fees and $100 court costs. (Sentencing: Kester)
Persons pleaded not guilty at arraignments as follows: Kylene Suzanne Rabourne, 34, of Duncombe, theft-second degree and burglary-third degree; Alex Christopher Bruch, 20, of Arcadia, OWI-first offense and serious injury by vehicle (two counts); and Christina Marie Heath, 31, of Jefferson, sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist. Trial dates were set for April 7 in every case.
Cases were initiated in Greene County district court during the week ending Jan. 30 as follows: Kimberly Marie Smith, 41, of Jefferson, harassment-first degree; Mark Anthony Salinas, 18, of Jefferson, possession of marijuana; Gabriel Jamison Wiggins, 18, of Jefferson, possession of marijuana; Anthony Paul Tasler, 40, of Polk city, OWI-first offense; Russell Lee Gardner, 39, of Panora, domestic abuse assault-third or subsequent offense; and Eric Christopher Rosenow, 31, of Jefferson, domestic abuse assault while displaying a weapon and domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury.
