Pierceton Woman Gets Two Years In Confinement Case
March 22, 2019 at 4:14 p.m.
Pierceton Woman Gets Two Years In Confinement Case
By David [email protected]
Judge David Cates gave 33-year-old Heather Kay Hersha two years in jail, suspended for time served on probation, on a charge of level 6 criminal confinement. She pleaded guilty to the charge Feb. 4 as part of a plea deal.
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As part of her plea agreement, which Cates accepted, a charge of battery while armed with a deadly weapon, a level 5 felony, was dismissed.
Her sentence is to be served consecutive to a 12-month extension of her probation in another case because of a charge of probation violation in 2018.
Cates also gave Hersha 74 actual days of jail time served and 91 days of good time credit.
She must maintain employment and pay $50 a week toward her court-ordered obligations. She must reimburse Kosciusko County $300 for the cost of court-appointed counsel and agree to apply any cash bond toward payment of any financial obligation. She must complete her program at Serenity House, have no contact with her victim and consume no alcohol. She must pay the cost of the action and $23,607.41 in restitution to her victim. Cates reminded her that as part of her probation, she must commit no other crimes.
On Dec. 19, 2017, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a motorist behind a gray vehicle saw the vehicle’s trunk lid pop open and a man was inside. The man was bleeding from the head and appeared to have severe injuries. Officers searched the area but did not find the vehicle or the man.
Three hours later, the Noble County Sheriff’s Department received information of a man bleeding from the head on a road in Noble County near Indian Village.
The victim reported he went to Shawn Jefferson’s Pierceton residence to meet Hersha, who had invited him over. When Crum walked inside Jefferson’s residence, he was jumped by two men, who hit him and tried to knock him out, according to court documents.
The blow did not render Crum unconscious and a fight ensued. During that fight, Crum bit off part of Jefferson’s finger.
The two men who jumped the victim, along with Jefferson, Hersha and a man named Frankie, tied the victim up and held him captive at the Jefferson residence.
After the victim was tied up, Hersha and Jefferson put him in the trunk of his vehicle and drove him to an unknown location.
Hersha and Jefferson drove to a wooded area and parked. After they left, the victim got out of the trunk and fled through the wooded area to a road.
Under a plea deal, Shawn Lee Jefferson, 41, was sentenced in Kosciusko County Circuit Court in October to six years each for criminal confinement and battery by means of a deadly weapon. The sentences are to be served in the Department of Corrections concurrent and consecutively to another case.
In court Thursday, there was some discussion between Hersha’s attorney, Scott Lennox; Cates; and Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brad Voelz about how much restitution Hersha owed the victim. Voelz acknowledged that the victim requested more than Hersha could ever pay. Lennox said Hersha should only pay restitution toward the victim’s hospital costs that were incurred from the night of the incident. He also said the victim could always sue Hersha in civil court if he thinks he is owed more. After looking it over, Cates calculated the $23,607.41 sum.
Arguing for the state, Voelz said Jefferson was a notorious criminal and he’d be locked up for a long time on this case and another one Jefferson was involved in. Voelz said he believed Jefferson pleaded guilty in the criminal confinement case because of Hersha’s cooperation early on in the case to make sure a “real bad guy” went away for a long time.
Lennox agreed that Jefferson was the major actor in this action and that Hersha got swept up in it. He said Hersha is completing her Serenity House program, is attending Ivy Tech and has learned a lot from the incident.
Hersha did not speak on her own behalf when Cates offered her the opportunity.
In accepting her plea, Cates told Hersha she does have a criminal history involving substance abuse, but it appeared to him that she was taking responsibility for her actions and he gave her credit for that.
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Judge David Cates gave 33-year-old Heather Kay Hersha two years in jail, suspended for time served on probation, on a charge of level 6 criminal confinement. She pleaded guilty to the charge Feb. 4 as part of a plea deal.
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As part of her plea agreement, which Cates accepted, a charge of battery while armed with a deadly weapon, a level 5 felony, was dismissed.
Her sentence is to be served consecutive to a 12-month extension of her probation in another case because of a charge of probation violation in 2018.
Cates also gave Hersha 74 actual days of jail time served and 91 days of good time credit.
She must maintain employment and pay $50 a week toward her court-ordered obligations. She must reimburse Kosciusko County $300 for the cost of court-appointed counsel and agree to apply any cash bond toward payment of any financial obligation. She must complete her program at Serenity House, have no contact with her victim and consume no alcohol. She must pay the cost of the action and $23,607.41 in restitution to her victim. Cates reminded her that as part of her probation, she must commit no other crimes.
On Dec. 19, 2017, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a motorist behind a gray vehicle saw the vehicle’s trunk lid pop open and a man was inside. The man was bleeding from the head and appeared to have severe injuries. Officers searched the area but did not find the vehicle or the man.
Three hours later, the Noble County Sheriff’s Department received information of a man bleeding from the head on a road in Noble County near Indian Village.
The victim reported he went to Shawn Jefferson’s Pierceton residence to meet Hersha, who had invited him over. When Crum walked inside Jefferson’s residence, he was jumped by two men, who hit him and tried to knock him out, according to court documents.
The blow did not render Crum unconscious and a fight ensued. During that fight, Crum bit off part of Jefferson’s finger.
The two men who jumped the victim, along with Jefferson, Hersha and a man named Frankie, tied the victim up and held him captive at the Jefferson residence.
After the victim was tied up, Hersha and Jefferson put him in the trunk of his vehicle and drove him to an unknown location.
Hersha and Jefferson drove to a wooded area and parked. After they left, the victim got out of the trunk and fled through the wooded area to a road.
Under a plea deal, Shawn Lee Jefferson, 41, was sentenced in Kosciusko County Circuit Court in October to six years each for criminal confinement and battery by means of a deadly weapon. The sentences are to be served in the Department of Corrections concurrent and consecutively to another case.
In court Thursday, there was some discussion between Hersha’s attorney, Scott Lennox; Cates; and Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brad Voelz about how much restitution Hersha owed the victim. Voelz acknowledged that the victim requested more than Hersha could ever pay. Lennox said Hersha should only pay restitution toward the victim’s hospital costs that were incurred from the night of the incident. He also said the victim could always sue Hersha in civil court if he thinks he is owed more. After looking it over, Cates calculated the $23,607.41 sum.
Arguing for the state, Voelz said Jefferson was a notorious criminal and he’d be locked up for a long time on this case and another one Jefferson was involved in. Voelz said he believed Jefferson pleaded guilty in the criminal confinement case because of Hersha’s cooperation early on in the case to make sure a “real bad guy” went away for a long time.
Lennox agreed that Jefferson was the major actor in this action and that Hersha got swept up in it. He said Hersha is completing her Serenity House program, is attending Ivy Tech and has learned a lot from the incident.
Hersha did not speak on her own behalf when Cates offered her the opportunity.
In accepting her plea, Cates told Hersha she does have a criminal history involving substance abuse, but it appeared to him that she was taking responsibility for her actions and he gave her credit for that.
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