Eddy County Sheriff's Report for December

Daniel Herman of Ft. Totten stood trial on Dec. 11 for driving under suspension DUS) and driving under the influence (DUI). Herman was arrested along Eddy County 1 on Aug. 2, and refused a chemical test at the scene. Judge Hovey presided over the trial, and he sentenced Herman to 360 days of unsupervised probation and ordered him to pay $750 in fines and fees. He was also required to submit to a chemical dependency evaluation and complete recommended treatment.

Wade P. Lura of New Rockford avoided a Dec. 18 jury trial by reaching a plea agreement with authorities in a DUI/DUS case. He was initially charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence and driving under suspension after a June 23 traffic stop. He was driving on U.S. Hwy. 281 in New Rockford city limits when he was stopped by local authorities, who allege he refused a chemical test at the scene. Per the agreement, his DUI charge was reduced to reckless driving and he also admitted guilt for driving under suspension. Hovey gave him a 4-day suspended jail sentence and assessed him $400 in fines and fees. Lura is subject to 360 days of unsupervised probation.

Active warrants:

• Kevin. J Bender of Fessenden, revocation of probation from 2019 drug case, Class C Felony possession of methamphetamines and possession of drug paraphernalia, $3,000 cash bond.

• Kyle A. Stroh, driving under suspension (second offense in 5 years), $300 cash appearance bond.

• Colleen J. Wolters of Ft. Totten, possession of drug paraphernalia (meth), $1,000 cash appearance bond.

On Dec. 10, Jon Gamotis of Carrington pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor driving under suspension. According to the criminal complaint, the incident occurred on Nov. 6 along U.S. Hwy. 281. Gamotis is due in court for a pretrial conference on Feb. 11.

Amy Anderson of New Rockford was cited for care required after crashing into a parked car in New Rockford on Nov. 14. Authorities say she dropped her cigarette, hit a parked car in the 200 block of First Avenue North owned by Mason Brenno, then left the scene. Her vehicle’s license plate was allegedly found at the scene.

Dylan M. Ironheart pleaded guilty to charges of providing false information to law enforcement and driving under the Influence. The incident occurred on Nov. 21, when he was stopped for not having taillights and gave the name of Jonathon Ironheart. Later it was discovered his real name was Dylan and he had active warrants out of Ward County. Ironheart was sentenced to 10 days in jail, with 7 days suspended and 3 days credit for time served. He is also subject to 360 days of unsupervised probation and must pay $825 in fines and fees.

Melvin P. Langstaff Jr. of St. Michael pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana (less than 1/2 oz) and possession of drug paraphernalia in court on Dec. 10. He was assessed $350 in fines and fees for the infractions.

Jeffrey A. Brenno of New Rockford was arrested for driving under the influence on Aug. 8. According to the criminal complaint, his blood alcohol concentration was three times the legal limit, or 0.2%, at the time of his arrest. He pleaded guilty to the offense, and he was ordered to complete 20 hours of community service and in lieu of jail time. He was also assessed a $750 fine as well as $275 in court fee, and is subject to 360 days unsupervised probation.

Kara B. Shaw of Ft. Totten pleaded guilty to driving under the influence on Dec. 10. She was initially stopped along Hwy. 281 on Sept. 23 for speeding. The officer noted that she was impaired, and a breathalyzer test revealed that her blood alcohol content was .11%. Citations for open container and failure to display a license plate were also issued by the arresting officer. Shaw was assessed a $500 fine and $250 in court fees as a result. She was also ordered to submit to a chemical dependency evaluation and complete recommended treatment. She is subject to 360 days of unsupervised probation.

Gerald P. Lawrence of Leeds, N.D., was arrested on Eddy County 1. He was initially pulled over for driving without headlights. A breathalyzer test revealed that his blood alcohol content was 0.109%. He pleaded not guilty to the Class B Misdemeanor charge in court on Dec. 10, and he is scheduled for a pretrial conference on Feb. 11, 2021. Lawrence was previously convicted of DUI in Eddy County in 2016, making this his second offense in 7 years. If convicted, the crime is punishable by a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail, and a $1,000 fine.

Former Ft. Totten resident Karissa Richotte reached a plea agreement with authorities in a 2019 case. Richotte was stopped on May 21, 2019 and charged with driving under suspension and unlawful display of license plates. Judge Hovey dismissed the DUS charge on Aug. 9, 2019, just days after the warrant was issued for her arrest for failure to appear in court. She pleaded not guilty to the license plate charge and then failed to appear again for a status conference in the case. A second warrant for her arrest was returned Nov. 16, and she posted $300 bond on Nov. 24. She will serve 360 days of unsupervised probation and pay $385 in fines and fees per the agreement reached in court on Dec. 10.

Ian M. Winchester of Jamestown (formerly of New Rockford) was sentenced in a 2018 drug case on Dec. 10. He had eluded authorities for more than 2 years before he was arrested on Oct. 5. In exchange for his guilty plea on the Class C Felony possession of methamphetamines and possession of drug paraphernalia charges, two misdemeanor marijuana charges were dismissed in the case. Judge Hovey suspended his 1 year and 1 day jail sentence, and all fines and fees were waived. Winchester is subject to 1 year of unsupervised probation.

Jessica Duda of New Rockford reached a plea agreement with authorities on Dec. 3 for disorderly conduct. According to the criminal complaint, Duda attempted to charge a 12-pack of Bud Light to her father’s credit account at CenDak Cooperative on Aug. 11. When the clerk refused, she took the merchandise out of the business without paying for it. In exchange for her guilty plea, she was assessed a $450 fine.

Sydney M. Dockter of New Rockford reached a plea agreement with authorities for drug-related offenses. She pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia (methamphetamines) and possession of marijuana, both misdemeanors, on Dec. 10. This was her third marijuana possession offense in the past year. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 20 days suspended and credit for 2 days served. She was also ordered to pay $460 in fines and fees. She is to report to Lake Region Law Enforcement Center on Dec. 28 to serve 8 days in jail. Once released, she will be subject to 360 days of unsupervised probation. Dockter also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge for stealing merchandise from Dollar General in July, and was assessed $350 in fines and fees in that case.

Virginia M. J. Fassett of Tokio pleaded guilty to Class F Felony possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor possession of controlled substance (buprenorphine) and providing false information to law enforcement on Dec. 10. Fassett admitted to using syringes to self-inject oxycodone and gave the deputy her sister’s name, Lesleann Fassett, when asked for identification. This is her second related offense, as she was convicted in Pierce County in 2019. She was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in the state penitentiary, all of which was either suspended or credited for time served. She was assessed $810 in fines and fees and is on supervised probation for 2 years.