by
FRED PACE, EDITOR
Coal Valley News
MADISON – A Bloomingrose man pleaded guilty to the felony offense of damage and destruction of public utility property.
Jason Earl Clay, 30, of Bloomingrose, admitted his guilt in Boone County Circuit Court last month.
On July 1, 2012, State Police received a report of a theft of a generator in the Bloomingrose area. The theft was from a telephone substation located at the mouth of Toney’s Branch Road and belonged to Frontier Communications.
Clay admitted that he and another man cut the chain link fence around the substation in order to steal the generator.
The generator was in use to supply phone service to many residences in the area following outages related last summer’s Derecho storm.
Two witnesses provided information that ultimately led to the arrest and conviction of Clay.
Clay faces up to 3 years in prison and a $5,000 fine when he is sentenced on Feb. 20, 2013 in Boone County Circuit Court.
IN OTHER COURT NEWS:
• A Detroit, Michigan, man pleaded guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance.
Marshall Darnell Taylor, 38, of Detroit, Michigan, admitted his guilt in Boone County Circuit Court last month.
On July 12, 2012, the Boone County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. 119 Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force executed a search warrant at a home near Hewett in Boone County.
Once inside, officers found 91 prepackaged Oxymorphone pills and $2,000 in cash.
Officers arrested Taylor and three others for their roles in the crime.
Following his guilty plea, Taylor was sentenced to prison for up to five years. He also forfeited his rights to the $2,000 in cash.
Charges are pending on the remaining defendants.
• Jeffrey Lee Adkins, 37, of Greenview, was sentenced to prison late last month following the revocation of his probation.
Adkins was found to have committed one or more new criminal offenses while out on probation. Adkins received a prison sentence of up to 15 years for delivery of Oxycodone.
• Maurice Vernon Davis, 46, of Racine, is headed to prison following the revocation of his home incarceration last month.
Davis was on home incarceration following his conviction for third offense driving under the influence last year.
Prosecutors sought revocation of his home incarceration after he tested positive for alcohol use. Davis will serve up to 3 years in prison.
• Susan Marie Castle (Dotson), 40, of Foster, pleaded guilty last month to selling Hydrocodone to a confidential informant.
Castle was charged with selling 50 Hydrocodone tablets to a police informant for $500.00 in cash.
The sale took place in 2008 in a parking lot near the mouth of Foster Hollow Road. Castle was placed on probation for 3 years.
If she violates her probation, she faces up to 15 years in prison.
• Kevin Lee Riffle, 39, of Madison, was sentenced to prison last month following the revocation of his probation.
Riffle was on probation following his conviction for delivery of marijuana in 2011.
Prosecutors sought the revocation of his probation following failed random drug screens.
Riffle received a prison sentence of up to 5 years.