Porter County Courts
June 4, 2012 5:44PM
Portage
City sues over building’s use
The city of Portage has filed a lawsuit to stop a motorcycle gang from using a former smoke shop on U.S. 20 as a clubhouse.
The suit, filed May 31 in Porter County, asks the courts to give a preliminary injunction against the building being used for something it doesn’t have a certificate of occupancy for. It also states that the club is affecting the city’s image.
The motorcycle club, known as the Invaders, took residence in the abandoned smoke shop earlier this year.
The building owner, Mike Stamper of Hobart, has 20 days to formally reply to the suit, and the matter is set for a July 27 hearing in front of Porter County Circuit Court Judge Mary Harper.
Man tried to bribe officers after stop
An Orland Park, Ill. man faces two to eight years in prison after allegedly trying to bribe Portage police officers with $100 each after they stopped him for drunk driving the Sunday before Memorial Day.
Shawn C. Gicius, 31, has been charged in Porter County Superior Court with Class C felony bribery and misdemeanors of resisting law enforcement officers, operating while intoxicated in a manner that endangers a person, operating while intoxicated with a alcohol level greater than .15 and operating while intoxicated.
Police responded to a report of someone drunk and disorderly at the Portage Public Marina launch ramp on May 27 about 7:44 p.m. and were told on the way that a black Hummer was pulling a white boat.
They stopped Gicius, who said a Lake County officer helped tow in his boat when it began to leak. He wouldn’t say how the boat got damaged, and at first declined to take a chemical blood test after a Breathalyzer showed him at .127.
Gicius, who reportedly tried to climb into the passenger seat when pulled over on Indiana 249 offered police $100 each to let him go, and said he had $300 on him.
He also tried to run after being booked, and police called an ambulance because he fell on his face.
His trial is Dec. 10, and he was granted a public defender.
Teen pleads guilty to two charges
A 19-year-old Portage man has pleaded guilty to two of the charges against him in a case that involved drugs, underage drug use and his fight with one of the juvenile boys.
Julian Duron, who was 18 when police came to his home on Feb. 2, pleaded guilty Monday to Class D felony intimidation of the juvenile and Class A misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
He faces up to three years in prison at his July 16 sentencing.
If Porter County Superior Court Judge William Alexa accepts Duron’s plea, the state will drop three Class D felonies possession of a narcotic drug (an MDMA/Ecstacy pill), strangulation (of the juvenile) and maintaining a common nuisance (growing, storing and smoking marijuana).
After finding his home filled with pipes, bongs and scales, police also charged Duron with misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Chesterton
Charged for kids missing school
A Chesterton woman faces up to three years in prison because her two daughters were missing too much elementary school.
Amy L. Loney, 31, is charged in Porter County Superior Court with two counts of neglect of a dependent for incidents from August of 2009 to now.
In the 2009-2010 school year, one girl had 45 tardies and 12 absences, while the other had 46 tardies and 10 absences.
In 2010-11, after the girls were put into Project Attend, they both had 13 tardies and one had 12 absences and the other 10. In this school year, each had 13 tardies and one had 12 absences and the other eight.
At a meeting with the school over one’s refusal to do homework, Loney allegedly said she wouldn’t walk the girl to the bus stop and make sure she got on each morning.
Woman admits having coke, pot
A Lake Station woman caught selling drugs while she was out on bail will receive a sentence of two years in prison and four on probation when sentenced July 16.
April Lynn Brown, 31, pleaded guilty Monday in Porter County Superior Court to the charges against her in both cases.
In November 2010, she was charged with a Class D felony charge of possession of a narcotic drug (cocaine) and two Class A misdemeanors, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia, all of which police found in her coat sleeve in Chesterton.
On July 27, Brown sold .39 grams of cocaine for $60 to a Porter County Drug Task Force agent and was charged with a Class B felony.
She could have served six to 20 years on that charge alone.
