Not Guilty Pleas Entered For Leesburg Man Facing Multiple Charges
January 19, 2018 at 9:40 p.m.
The Leesburg man who led police on a chase through the east side of Warsaw Dec. 22 had his initial hearing in Kosciusko Circuit Court Thursday.
A preliminary plea of not guilty was entered by Judge Michael Reed on behalf of John M. Arthur, 30, of 6704 N. Kaloroma Road, Leesburg.
Arthur faces charges of resisting law enforcement, a level 6 felony; possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony; carrying a handgun without a license, a Class A misdemeanor; possession of a controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor; possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor, with a sentence enhancement to a Class A because of a previous arrest; and theft, a Class A misdemeanor, according to court documents.
He was released on his own recognizance Dec. 27.
For any drug offenses, if convicted, he could face a mandatory $200 to $1,000 interdiction fee, and since a vehicle was involved, he could lose his license up to a year. For any felonies, he faces fines of up to $10,000 and up to 21⁄2 years of incarceration for each charge. A resisting law enforcement charge could result in incarceration and fines for Arthur, and since a vehicle was used, that could go on his driving record, with driving privileges possibly suspended.
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The handgun charge, if he’s convicted, could result in a fine of up to $5,000 and up to a year in the Kosciusko County Jail.
The marijuana charge, with the enhancement, could result in up to 180 days in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.
Reed asked Arthur if he wanted an attorney appointed to him, but Arthur said that he wanted to hire his own attorney.
His pretrial is at 3 p.m. March 26, and his status conference is at 10 a.m. Feb. 26.
On Dec. 22, Claypool Town Marshal Ben Sanders was northbound on Buffalo Street at the intersection of Prairie Street in Warsaw when he saw a Ford Taurus – later determined to be driven by Arthur – make an improper lane change, causing Sanders to swerve to avoid an accident, according to a probable cause affidavit. Sanders followed the Taurus and checked the license plate, learning the plate had been reported stolen on Nov. 16.
Sanders continued following Arthur’s vehicle, which turned in to a gas station. Sanders pulled in behind the vehicle and activated his emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop. The Taurus accelerated onto Detroit Street and Sanders turned on his siren. Arthur disregarded traffic signals at Detroit and Market streets, barely avoiding a collision with another vehicle, court documents said.
Sanders pursued Arthur until his vehicle struck a mailbox, drove into the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts parking lot and drove through some bushes before it stopped. Sanders approached the vehicle and removed Arthur from the vehicle, as well as his passenger, Kayla Hepburn, 23, Warsaw.
Hepburn was charged with possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony; possession of a controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor; and possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor.
Arthur told Sanders there was a handgun in the back seat of the car and that he did not have a handgun permit.
In a restaurant bag, officers found a clear glass smoking pipe that contained a white crystal-like substance. Officers also found a black silky bag that contained several small baggies. One of the baggies contained a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, the court documents said. Another bag contained five green pills identified as alprazolam, a Schedule IV controlled substance.
In Hepburn’s purse, officers found three types of pills, one of which was identified as tramadol, a Schedule IV controlled substance. She did not have a valid prescription for the tramadol.
Officers found an eyeglass case that contained a green plant material that tested positive for marijuana.
In the trunk of the Taurus, officers found a backpack that contained another pipe that contained a crystal-like substance, digital scales that contained a white powdery residue, a metal grinder that contained a green plant material and digital scales that contained a white powdery residue.
Sanders field tested the powder found on the scale, and it tested positive for methamphetamine, the court documents state.
The Leesburg man who led police on a chase through the east side of Warsaw Dec. 22 had his initial hearing in Kosciusko Circuit Court Thursday.
A preliminary plea of not guilty was entered by Judge Michael Reed on behalf of John M. Arthur, 30, of 6704 N. Kaloroma Road, Leesburg.
Arthur faces charges of resisting law enforcement, a level 6 felony; possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony; carrying a handgun without a license, a Class A misdemeanor; possession of a controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor; possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor, with a sentence enhancement to a Class A because of a previous arrest; and theft, a Class A misdemeanor, according to court documents.
He was released on his own recognizance Dec. 27.
For any drug offenses, if convicted, he could face a mandatory $200 to $1,000 interdiction fee, and since a vehicle was involved, he could lose his license up to a year. For any felonies, he faces fines of up to $10,000 and up to 21⁄2 years of incarceration for each charge. A resisting law enforcement charge could result in incarceration and fines for Arthur, and since a vehicle was used, that could go on his driving record, with driving privileges possibly suspended.
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The handgun charge, if he’s convicted, could result in a fine of up to $5,000 and up to a year in the Kosciusko County Jail.
The marijuana charge, with the enhancement, could result in up to 180 days in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.
Reed asked Arthur if he wanted an attorney appointed to him, but Arthur said that he wanted to hire his own attorney.
His pretrial is at 3 p.m. March 26, and his status conference is at 10 a.m. Feb. 26.
On Dec. 22, Claypool Town Marshal Ben Sanders was northbound on Buffalo Street at the intersection of Prairie Street in Warsaw when he saw a Ford Taurus – later determined to be driven by Arthur – make an improper lane change, causing Sanders to swerve to avoid an accident, according to a probable cause affidavit. Sanders followed the Taurus and checked the license plate, learning the plate had been reported stolen on Nov. 16.
Sanders continued following Arthur’s vehicle, which turned in to a gas station. Sanders pulled in behind the vehicle and activated his emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop. The Taurus accelerated onto Detroit Street and Sanders turned on his siren. Arthur disregarded traffic signals at Detroit and Market streets, barely avoiding a collision with another vehicle, court documents said.
Sanders pursued Arthur until his vehicle struck a mailbox, drove into the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts parking lot and drove through some bushes before it stopped. Sanders approached the vehicle and removed Arthur from the vehicle, as well as his passenger, Kayla Hepburn, 23, Warsaw.
Hepburn was charged with possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony; possession of a controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor; and possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor.
Arthur told Sanders there was a handgun in the back seat of the car and that he did not have a handgun permit.
In a restaurant bag, officers found a clear glass smoking pipe that contained a white crystal-like substance. Officers also found a black silky bag that contained several small baggies. One of the baggies contained a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, the court documents said. Another bag contained five green pills identified as alprazolam, a Schedule IV controlled substance.
In Hepburn’s purse, officers found three types of pills, one of which was identified as tramadol, a Schedule IV controlled substance. She did not have a valid prescription for the tramadol.
Officers found an eyeglass case that contained a green plant material that tested positive for marijuana.
In the trunk of the Taurus, officers found a backpack that contained another pipe that contained a crystal-like substance, digital scales that contained a white powdery residue, a metal grinder that contained a green plant material and digital scales that contained a white powdery residue.
Sanders field tested the powder found on the scale, and it tested positive for methamphetamine, the court documents state.