Porter County Courts
October 20, 2012 12:02PM
Updated: November 22, 2012 6:47AM
Porter County
Last of robbing trio pleads guilty
Another man who allegedly broke into a neighbor’s home and robbed them at gunpoint has pleaded guilty.
Keelon Wright, 18, pleaded guilty on Friday to Class B felony aiding in a robbery for his part in the June 2011 incident where the three men thought they were robbing marijuana dealers but found no drugs.
Wright faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced Nov. 11, and accomplice Kyle Wright, 20, received an eight-year sentence on May 25 for his plea to Class B felony robbery -- six in prison and two on probation.
A female neighbor knocked on the victims’ door, and the three men followed her in, two with handguns and all with “do-rags” over their faces.
They stole about $250 in cash, two Droid cell phones, an iPod touch, a X-Box 360, a laptop computer and a compact disc player when they found no drugs.
The woman wasn’t charged. Police found an “Air Soft” gun but not the revolver allegedly used.
Man picking up pot package charged
A Crown Point man faces up to three years in prison for signing for an 8.6 pound package of marijuana at his girlfriend’s Porter County address.
Kelvin Maurice Hines, 33, is charged with Class D felony possession of marijuana for the Oct. 10 delivery of the box from California to a Mary Johnson, although no one with that name lived there.
A U.S. Postal Service Inspector told Drug Enforcement Administration agents that six prior packages were delivered there, and police found one during a search after the girlfriend returned home and gave consent.
They also found a .50 caliber Desert Eagle handgun that the girlfriend didn’t recognize. Hines wasn’t in Porter County Jail on Friday.
Car crash leads to charge of fraud
A Merrillville man has been charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor for allegedly crashing his car into a guard rail and NIPSCO pole so his insurance would pay it off when he couldn’t.
And Travis B. Wilson, 23, had a friend videotape both of the Feb. 11 attempts, court records state.
On Tuesday, the Porter County Prosecutor filed Class C felony insurance fraud, Class D felony criminal mischief and Class a misdemeanor false informing charges, and Wilson faces up to eight years in prison on the highest, the C felony.
The friend went to police and showed them the videos, telling them he felt guilty and Wilson was bragging about it hitting the Old Porter Road guardrail and County Road 1400N pole and blaming it on avoiding a deer.
Court records state that if wires hadn’t suspended the snapped pole, it would’ve crushed the car.
Allstate Insurance paid $7,887 towards the car and $5,204 towards the NIPSCO pole for Wilson’s mischief.
Wilson wasn’t in Porter County Jail on Friday, but bail bond is set at $3,500.
Chesterton
Man enters home and steals items
A Chesterton man pleaded guilty Friday to entering the home of his grandparents’ neighbors three times while they were on vacation and stealing items to pay for heroin. Joseph Robert Grundell, 27, faces up to 20 years in prison for his plea to Class B felony burglary at a Dec. 21 sentencing.
He told police that while the people were on vacation from Jan, 10 - April 12, he first stole a television and pawned it for $150 in Lake Station.
He used his grandparents’ key to the house to also steal jewelry, a coin jar and blank checks, and he told police he did it because he was suffering from “dope sickness” and needed a fix.
Portage
Man: I was asleep when molesting
A Portage man had trial dates set on Friday for allegedly molesting a girl who was 14 years old, which he said he only could’ve done in his sleep, thinking it was his wife.
Billy Williams III, 42, faces up to eight years in prison on Class C felony child molesting charges when he goes to trial set for the week of March 11.
Williams told police he didn’t recall doing it but may have rolled over in his sleep and thought it was his wife, court records state. He told police he often talks in his sleep and answers questions about two to three times a week, but his wife said it is not as often as he said.
The incidents allegedly happened in September 2011.
Valparaiso
Woman stole
from trust fund
A Valparaiso woman pleaded guilty on Friday to stealing $7,500 from an older relative’s trust fund to help a roommate pay off a $3,519 vehicle repair bills.
Tandra Stoner, 33, pleaded guilty to Class D felony theft and faces up to three years in prison at a Dec. 7 sentencing.
Stoner originally faced up to eight years in prison on Class C felony aiding in forgery for the May 16 crime, but that charge will be dropped if Porter Superior Judge William Alexa accepts her plea to stealing the two checks she allegedly forged.
Court documents state that Stoner said she and her roommate used the money to pay bills and often took $60 to $80 from her grandmother’s purse on visits for gas money.
