On Friday, January 25, Judge Otho Eyster in the Knox County Court of Common Pleas sentenced eight men and one woman for various felony crimes and community control supervision violations according to Knox County Prosecutor John Thatcher.

Robert L. Endsley, 39, Danville, was convicted of felony Driving While Intoxicated. Endsley was sentenced to 15 months in prison. According to the Indictment filed in the case, Endsley has been convicted of drunk driving eight times within the past 20 years. On May 7, 2007 at approximately 2:30 a.m., Patrolman Tim Arnold of the Mount Vernon Police Department stopped Endsley after he saw Endsley driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Endsley failed all of the field sobriety tests. Corporal Beth Marti administered a B.A.C. test at the Knox County Jail where Endsley blew a .175.

Dennis W. Banbury, 28, Danville, was convicted of aggravated assault and tampering with evidence. Banbury was sentenced to 15 months in prison for the assault charge and one year in prison for the tampering charge. The sentences will be served concurrently. Thatcher said on June 3, 2007 at about 12:15 a.m., Banbury came back into a Mount Vernon bar after being thrown out by the bouncer, and then Banbury threatened several people with a knife. After the bouncer hit the knife out of Banbury’s hand with a two by four, Banbury fled the bar and threw the knife away in the parking lot. The Police found the knife approximately four hours later. Patrolmen Travis Tharp and Tim Arnold and Corporal Roger Monroe, MVPD, investigated the case.

Herschel R. Jones, III, 23, Mount Vernon, was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon and two counts of breaking and entering. Jones was sentenced to 15 months in prison for the weapon charge and 11 months in prison for the breaking and entering charges. The sentences will be served concurrently. Thatcher said on August 9, 2007, Patrolmen David McElroy and Matt Jones, MVPD, were dispatched to a Mount Vernon gas station where they found an intoxicated Jones who had a seven inch Katano knife concealed in his pants pocket. On August 18, Jones broke into a professional office building on Harcourt Road, and on August 30 he broke into a garage on Pittsburg Avenue. Detective Sergeant Gary Rohler, Detective Roger Brown and Sergeant Al Dexter of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office investigated the breaking and entering cases.

Dale A. Woody, 21, Mount Vernon, was convicted of five counts of breaking and entering and two attempted safecracking charges. Woody was sentenced to 11 months in prison on all counts. The sentences will be served concurrently. Thatcher said on December 19, 2007, Woody and a co-defendant broke into a business on West Gambier Street where Woody attempted to open a safe, a locked file cabinet and a cash drawer. Woody and his co-defendant then broke into another West Gambier Street business where Woody attempted to pry open a safe with a crow bar. Thatcher said on separate occasions last November, Woody broke into a church on Wooster Road, a storage building on Duff Street, Gambier, and a barn on Coshocton Road, Mount Vernon. Detective Corporal Matt Dailey, Detective Craig Feeney and Sergeant Troy Glazier, MVPD, and Detective Roger Brown, KCSO, investigated the cases.

Curtis L. Wade, 19, Howard, was convicted of burglary and petty theft. Wade was sentenced to a three year term of community control supervision including a 30 day jail sentence that was imposed immediately. Upon being released from jail, Wade will be required to submit to a drug and alcohol assessment and monitoring. Wade will serve 11 months in prison on the burglary charge and six months on the theft charge, concurrently, if he violates any of the terms of his supervision. Thatcher said on July 30, 2007, Patrolman David McElroy, MVPD, investigated a burglary complaint filed by a Follin Avenue resident who said her apartment had been broken into and numerous DVD’s, CD’s and her stereo speakers were missing. A neighbor reported to Patrolman McElroy that Wade and a co-defendant entered the apartment and removed the missing items on July 28.

Frank R. Ciaralli, 43, Mount Vernon, was convicted of growing marihuana in his East Vine Street residence. Ciaralli was sentenced to a three year term of community control supervision which includes a six month driver’s license suspension and a drug and alcohol assessment and monitoring. Ciaralli will serve a 15 month prison sentence if he violates any of the terms of his supervision. Thatcher said on April 15, 2007, Patrolmen Brian Weiser and Matt Jones, MVPD, responded to an open door complaint made by a concerned neighbor. Ciaralli was not at home at the time. While performing a welfare check, the officers discovered evidence of Ciaralli’s marihuana growing operation. After obtaining a search warrant, Detective Sergeant Jeff Jacobs and Detective Craig Feeney seized over 200 grams of marihuana as well as grow lights and other items commonly used to grow marihuana. Thatcher said the degree of Ciaralli’s offense was enhanced to a felony of the fourth degree because his residence is located within 1,000 feet of a school.

Jody L. Punches, 21, Mount Vernon, was convicted of selling seven 40 milligram Oxycontin tablets to a confidential informant working for the Mount Vernon Police, on June 1, 2007. Punches was sentenced to a three year term of community control supervision which includes a six month driver’s license suspension, a drug and alcohol assessment and monitoring and a condition that she must maintain full time employment. Punches will serve a 17 month prison sentence if she violates any of the terms of her supervision.

Harold H. Carter, 43, Mount Vernon, was sentenced to prison for two years after admitting that he “got drunk” on December 31, 2007, in violation of the conditions of his community control supervision. On October 1, Carter was convicted of domestic violence, a felony of the third degree, and attempted burglary. Thatcher said on January 27, 2007, at a residence on Shirley Avenue, Carter got into an argument with his ex-girlfriend, grabbed her by the neck and then pushed her up against a kitchen window. Approximately an hour and a half later, Carter followed the woman to her residence and attempted to break a glass window in her front door. Corporal Beth Marti, MVPD, investigated the domestic violence and attempted burglary case.

On February 1, 2005, David Glass, 39, Westerville, was sentenced to a five year term of community control supervision after being convicted of felony nonsupport of dependents. Judge Eyster imposed Glass’ 11 month prison sentence after Glass admitted he failed to report to his supervising officer, failed to advise his supervising officer of a change of address and failed to maintain full time employment. Thatcher said Glass has paid only a little over $300.00 toward his child support obligation since he was convicted, in 2005.