On Feb. 22 in Wetzel County Circuit Court, Judge John Madden presiding, Jamey Allen Maxwell, 18, of P.O. Box 407, Hundred, withdrew his former not guilty plea and pleaded guilty after having been indicted on Jan. 8 on one count of misdemeanor joyriding. It is alleged that Maxwell did on Dec. 1, 2007, drive a vehicle without the owner’s consent, namely a 1999 Subaru Outback Legacy belonging to Kimberly or Anthony Sizemore, and that there was no intent to steal the vehicle. Count two of the indictment, the felony offense of grand larceny, was dismissed pursuant to the plea agreement; the count alleged Maxwell stole the same vehicle valued at more than $1,000 on the same date. Maxwell had been out on a personal recognizance bond of $5,000 and had been given permission to leave the state to work on the railroad. Represented by attorney Earl Bowser, Maxwell was sentenced to six months in the Northern Regional Jail or fined $500. The sentence was then suspended and he was placed on two years supervised probation and ordered to pay $4,235.85 restitution and court costs. Also, he is not to have any form of contact with the Sizemores.
In a companion case, Mikeal James Craft, 19, of P.O. Box 58, Wileyville, appeared with his court-appointed attorney, Kevin Neiswonger. Craft had been indicted on one count felony grand larceny in which it is alleged that on Dec. 1, 2007, Craft committed the felony offense of grand larceny of a 1999 Subaru Outback Legacy belonging to Kimberly or Anthony Sizemore.
Craft pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of joyriding and was sentenced by Madden to six months in the Northern Regional Jail with five days credit for time already served. The sentence was suspended and Craft was placed on two years supervised probation. He is to pay $2,035.85 restitution which must be paid off before the probation sentence may be dismissed.
The grand larceny charge was dismissed. He also was admonished to have no contact with the Sizemores.