SIDNEY — In Shelby County Common Pleas Court recently, several of the co-defendants involved in the October beating and robbery of a retired sheriff’s deputy were sentenced.
Eion Dangerfield, 24, of Piqua, William G. Copeland III, 19, of Sidney, John Lee Irvin Jr., 24, of Sidney, Mercedes Leann Paul, 20, of Piqua, and Brittany Morris, 18, of Troy, all had a hand in allegedly breaking into the home of Isaac Bollinger, 75, in Plattsville. They said Bollinger’s grandson owed them $100.
According to a Shelby County Sheriff’s Office report at the time, deputies were dispatched to the residence on a report of a burglary and assault and found Bollinger bleeding heavily from several places on his head. He said three men knocked on his door. He answered the knock and the men forced their way in. Bollinger pushed one of the men out and another one struck him in the face. As Bollinger was trying to fend them off, he grabbed a chair in his living room to strike them with. At that time, one of the men pulled a gun.
A woman staying with the Bollingers, Brittany Huston, 21, said one of the men grabbed her by the back of her neck. Another one of the men forced her to the ground and told her to keep her face down in the carpet. Huston told deputies that her boyfriend, Kyle Ellis, is incarcerated in the county jail. She said the men said they were there to get $100 that he owed them for heroin. Huston said the men took a television and Ellis’ class ring from the room. Deputies said the men pried the door off one of two safes in the home.
It was later discovered that Huston had a part in the incident and was charged with complicity to aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony, and obstructing justice, a third-degree felony, for communicating misleading statements to detectives of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office during the criminal investigation to hinder the discovery and apprehension of the suspects.
She entered a guilty plea to the second count on the condition that the state drop the first count. She was sentenced this week to serve 24 months in prison, pay a $500 fine, and pay $1,415.59 in restitution to Isaac Bollinger jointly with all the co-defendants. She will also have to serve up to three years discretionary post release control. She also received 104 days credit for time she spent in jail prior to sentencing.
Dangerfield, Copeland, and Irvin were all charged with one count of aggravated burglary, with a firearms specification, a felony of the first-degree, and one count of felonious assault, a felony of the second degree. They all originally plead not-guilty then entered a guilty plea on the terms that the felonious assault count be dropped, along with the firearms specification.
Dangerfield was sentenced last week to serve eight years in prison, and pay the restitution. He will also have to complete a mandatory five years community control upon release from prison. He received 163 days of credit for time he spent in jail prior to sentencing.
Copeland was sentenced in February to serve four years in prison, pay a $300 fine, and pay the restitution. He will also have to complete a mandatory five years community control upon release from prison.
Irvin was sentenced in February to serve five years in prison, pay a $300 fine, and pay the restitution. He will also have to complete a mandatory five years community control upon release from prison.
Morris and Paul were both charged with one count of complicity to aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, and one count felonious assault, a second-degree felony. They each entered a guilty plea on the condition that the first count be amended to complicity to burglary, a felony of the third-degree, and that the second count be dismissed.
Earlier this month, Paul was sentenced to five years of community control, a $200 fine, she must successfully complete drug and alcohol counseling, and she must pay restitution.
The state will recommend community control for Morris. She is scheduled to be sentenced April 5 at 1:30 p.m.
