MOUNT VERNON — Common Pleas Judge Otho Eyster handed out sentences to seven people on Thursday.
Michael A. Puluso, 23, Mount Vernon, was sentenced to four years in prison for one count of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony. Puluso admitted to molesting his 8-year-old niece in her Mount Vernon home on Nov. 29, 2007. “I’m sorry for what I did and I hope everybody is OK and they have a safe life,” said Puluso. In addition to prison time, Puluso will serve five years of community control upon his release and as a Tier 2 sex offender will be required to report his whereabouts in person to the sheriff every six months for the next 25 years. Puluso has been incarcerated since the day after the incident and will be given credit for 120 days on his sentence.
Tina M. Johnson, 32, Howard, pleaded guilty in February to one count of failing to register a change of address with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. Johnson was convicted in 1998 for corruption of a minor, a sexually oriented offense and required to register her address for 10 years. According to the indictment, Johnson failed to register on Oct. 5, 2007. Johnson said she was homeless at the time and trying to register her daughter in a school. Eyster sentenced her to serve 11 months in prison and said he would consider judicial release. Johnson was cuffed and taken to jail from court.
Connie S. Plichta, 31, Mount Vernon, was sentenced to 11 months in prison on charges of receiving stolen property, misuse of credit cards and theft by deception. According to the indictment, Plichta used a stolen Visa card to purchase two rings, a PlayStation and games, cartons of cigarettes and other merchandise from two Mount Vernon gas stations and a department store. Plichta claimed that she was on Xanax at the time of the crimes and was currently seeking treatment for addiction. She was cuffed and taken to jail from court.
Curtis L. Wade, 19, Howard, was convicted in January on charges of burglary and petty theft and was sentenced to three years of community control. On Thursday, Wade admitted in court that he violated the terms of his probation by testing positive for cocaine use on Feb. 20. Eyster sentenced Wade to serve 11 months in prison and was given credit for 30 days served. Eyster also said he would not oppose judicial release provided Wade can get accepted to the Licking-Muskingham Community Correction Center, an intensive probation facility.
Michael R. Erwin, Columbus, pleaded guilty on Feb. 14 to one count of possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. According to the indictment, Erwin was arrested after a routine traffic stop on Jan. 13 and was found in possession of a pill bottle containing balloons of heroin. Eyster sentenced him to 11 months in prison with credit for 75 days, a six-month license suspension, and no possibility for judicial release.
Jeremie M. Fincher, 21, Marengo, pleaded guilty in February to charges of receiving stolen property and vandalism. According to the indictment, Fincher and two accomplices broke into a storage shed at Hiawatha Golf Course and stole several golf carts they used to damage the course. Eyster sentenced him to 30 days in jail and three years of community control. He was also ordered to pay his share of restitution in the amount of $2,275.33 to the golf course. Eyster granted work release and warned Fincher that if he failed to show up at the jail on Saturday morning or violated the terms of his work release he would be sentenced to 11 months in prison.
Patricia L. Humphrey, 23, Mount Vernon, pleaded guilty in February to one count of permitting drug abuse. According to police records, Humphrey drove the vehicle that her boyfriend used to purchase drugs. Eyster sentenced her to 30 days in jail, three years of community control and a six-month license suspension. Humphrey was cuffed and taken to jail from court.
