Tuesday, August 26, 2008 9:04 PM CDT
Mattoon man receives six years in prison for possession of stolen vehicle
By DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer
dfopay@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — A man who admitted having a stolen vehicle received prison time with a recommendation for an early release program.
Christopher A. Shupe, 22, whose most recent address on record was an apartment on North 21st Street in Mattoon, will also begin a probation term for threatening a police officer once he’s released from prison.
Shupe was sentenced to six years in prison for a charge of possession of a stolen vehicle to which he pleaded guilty in June. He admitted that he had the stolen vehicle on June 23, 2006.
Circuit Judge Teresa Righter recommended Shupe for the Illinois Department of Corrections’ Impact Incarceration program, which can lead to an early release if discipline requirements are met. It’s up to the prison agency whether to accept Shupe into the program.
Righter also sentenced Shupe to three years of probation for the charges of aggravated intimidation and threatening a public official, to which he also pleaded guilty in June. Those charges accused Shupe of threatening an officer on Jan. 28.
The judge also ordered Shupe to pay $3,525 in restitution in the stolen vehicle case. Righter based the sentence on recommendations from Assistant State’s Attorney Eric Neumann and Public Defender Lonnie Lutz.
In other cases in court recently, guilty pleas were entered by:
- David V. Pearcy, 28, 2200 Charleston Ave., Mattoon, to a theft charge accusing him of a role in stealing more than $400 in merchandise from the Mattoon Wal-Mart on May 22.
Pearcy was placed on probation for two years with terms including a $500 fine and 30 days in jail beginning Sept. 1. More jail time was stayed, meaning he won’t have to serve it if he follows the other requirements of his sentence. Righter accepted a plea agreement that Assistant State’s Attorney Mick McAvoy and defense attorney Terese Mathews recommended.
Other suspects in the case who are scheduled for hearings next month are Sandra M. Cardwell, 24, and Sara B. Pearcy, 20, also of 2200 Charleston Ave., Mattoon, and Dottie A. Tenoria, 30, 2204 Charleston Ave., Mattoon.
- Randall Patrick Gifford, 20, for whom records listed addresses on Second Street in Charleston and in Libertyville, to misdemeanor charges of retail theft and property damage.
Gifford admitted that he broke a window and stole merchandise from Campus Liquor in Charleston on Sept. 7. A felony burglary charge was dismissed, and terms of his two-year probation sentence included payment of nearly $2,400 in restitution along with a $700 fine, substance abuse treatment and stayed jail time.
Circuit Judge Mitchell Shick accepted a plea agreement that McAvoy and defense attorney Jeannine Garrett recommended.
- Dane D. Niland, 18, 2 Westwood Ave., Mattoon, to a charge of possession of cannabis alleging he had marijuana on April 11. The charge was amended so it no longer accused Niland of having the drug on Mattoon High School grounds, and he received two years of “first offender” probation, meaning he won’t have a record of a conviction if he follows requirements.
Shick accepted a plea agreement that McAvoy and defense attorney Brian Bower recommended.
- Christopher M. Gast, 22, 744 12th St. No. B, Charleston, to a domestic battery charge alleging he hit a woman on July 8. The offense was a felony because of a prior conviction, and Gast received an 18-month prison term. Righter accepted a plea agreement that Assistant State’s Attorney Kerri Davis and Lutz recommended.
Contact Dave Fopay at dfopay@jg-tc.com or 348-5733.
Add your comments
Not already registered?
Then click Here.
Comment policy:
JG-TC.com encourages readers to engage in civil conversation with their neighbors. Comments that are submitted are not posted to the site immediately. They go into a queue to be moderated and may take several hours to be reviewed. Comments posted on Saturday may not be reviewed until Sunday afternoon.
In order to keep the page a set width, long lines (mostly long links) will be chopped. Try putting spaces in your links or consider using tinyurl.com to make a smaller link that you can include.
We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct.
No comment may contain:
* Potentially libelous statements; such as accusing somebody of a crime, defamation of character, or statements that can harm somebody's reputation.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment or inciting violence.
* Commercial product promotions.
If you have any questions, please contact our moderator.
|
|
|
injustice85 wrote on Sep 2, 2008 10:34 PM: