Green County
Felonies
● Christopher Ronald Phillips, 29, Brodhead, pleaded no contest Oct. 25 to a Class H felony charge of theft and was sentenced to two years on probation and seven days in jail. Felony charges of burglary and bail jumping and a misdemeanor charge of retail theft were dismissed but “read in,” meaning the judge could consider them at sentencing. Court records indicate Phillips stole from residents at Wood’s Crossing Nursing Home in Brodhead while employed there in January and February, including about $100 in cash. The case came to the attention of police in March after a resident’s son reported a $100 Piggly Wiggly gift card and change missing from his 85-year-old mother’s belongings. The gift card was used to buy five steaks, three bags of shrimp and two energy drinks. Phillips also reportedly shoplifted two cans of Red Bull from the Piggly Wiggly on July 30. He told police he was in a serious motor vehicle crash “and the effects he felt as a result of the accident were a contributing factor to his shoplifting,” an officer noted.
● Richard Earl Thompson, 53, homeless, pleaded guilty Nov. 5 to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and was sentenced to 42 days in jail. A Class F felony charge of first-degree recklessly endangering safety was dismissed as part of a plea deal. The case stems from a domestic dispute with a family member Sept. 11 at a home in the 500 block of West 21st Street in Monroe, during which he reportedly held a knife to her throat and threatened her.
● Brandon James Disrud, 31, Monroe, pleaded no contest Oct. 19 to a misdemeanor charge of THC possession as a party to a crime, downgraded from a felony as part of a plea agreement. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail, with time served. A misdemeanor charge of possessing drug paraphernalia was dismissed as part of the plea deal. The case stems from a narcotics investigation that resulted in a search warrant on his apartment at 325 4th St. His codefendant, Jessica Lynn Leu, 29, Monroe, has a plea and sentencing hearing scheduled Dec. 13.
● Luis Alfredo Lobato Romero, 33, Monroe, pleaded not guilty Sept. 14 to Class H felony charges of operating while intoxicated (fourth offense) and operating with a prohibited blood-alcohol content (fourth offense), as well as misdemeanor charges of driving with a revoked license and tampering with a court-ordered ignition-interlock device. He has a pre-trial conference Jan. 15. The case stems from a traffic stop Aug. 3 on Hartwig Road at High School Road, Town of Sylvester. Court documents indicate a deputy came across a vehicle stopped in the middle of Hartwig Road with its lights turned off and “the driver gave me a look of ‘Oh no, it’s a cop.’” The deputy noted that the driver, Lobato Romero, had “droopy eyes” and looked “like he was going to vomit.” When the deputy asked what Lobato Romero was doing at the intersection, “he informed me that he was waiting for everybody to go everywhere.” Lobato-Romero failed field sobriety tests and blew a breathalyzer result of 0.206 percent blood-alcohol, according to the deputy’s report.
● Jessica D.A. Montano, 36, Argyle, stood mute Oct. 18 to a Class H felony charge of possessing a counterfeit non-narcotic with intent to deliver, as a party to a crime. She has a pre-trial conference Dec. 18. The case stems from a drug sale June 21 in the 500 block of West 21st Street in Monroe. Court documents indicate Montano was in the driver’s seat when a confidential police source purchased 25.5 grams of purported cocaine for $600 from her passenger, James Marlon Foster Jr., 26, Freeport. The substance later “tested inconclusive for the probable presence of cocaine.” Foster is currently serving a three-year prison sentence for dealing cocaine in Green County.
● Benjamin L. Gritzmaker, 33, Brodhead, stood mute Sept. 12 to an unclassified felony charge of hit-and-run involving injury. He has a pre-trial conference Dec. 4. The case stems from an accident Aug. 28 at 10th Street and East 9th Avenue in Brodhead, in front of County Line Beverage. Gritzmaker reportedly pulled out of the liquor store’s parking lot into the path of an oncoming vehicle, collided with it and then drove off. The other driver reported injuries and bruising. When interviewed by police, Gritzmaker said it was raining at the time of the accident and he was thinking about other things and hit a car. He told police “he panicked and had anxiety so he left the scene.” He parked the car elsewhere in Brodhead and walked around in the rain until he went to see his father, who told him to go to police.
● Angela Michelle Williams, 41, Madison, has a preliminary hearing Nov. 29 on a Class I felony charge of theft. Court documents indicate she took five rings and a Nikon camera with accessories from a residence on County C, Town of Washington, between May 1 and Aug. 1. The value of the stolen items is estimated at $4,600. The victim told police she believed Williams pawned the items and the motive was “purely money.”
● Ronnie Prince Antron Kinzer, 26, Chicago, stood mute Nov. 9 to a Class H felony charge of misappropriating ID info to obtain money and misdemeanor charges of obtaining a prescription drug through fraud and possession of a controlled substance, all as a party to a crime. Court documents allege Kinzer fraudulently used the credentials and name of a doctor to obtain penicillin and promethazine with codeine syrup Sept. 21 at Pinnow Pharmacy in Brodhead. The incident was reported by a pharmacist, and the doctor told police the prescription was fraudulent. When police asked Kinzer about the cough syrup, he “laughed and said it was what Lil Wayne rapped about.” He denied knowing the prescription was fraudulent and told police his friend asked him to pick up the prescription and he “was just being a good friend.” He has a pre-trial conference Jan. 22.
Lafayette County Circuit Court
Felonies
● Silverio Sanchez-Ochoa, 33, Darlington, was charged Oct. 23 with a Class I felony count of child abuse by recklessly causing harm and misdemeanor counts of battery and disorderly conduct, stemming from a domestic altercation Sept. 26 at his home on Division Street. Court records indicate he became angry when a woman at the residence wouldn’t heat up more tortillas and “fulfill her obligations as his wife.” While she was holding a 2-year-old child and in the presence of another toddler, he reportedly slapped the woman on the face, pulled her hair, kicked her legs and struck her several times on the back of her legs with a belt, leaving her with welts. She allegedly grabbed a hammer in self-defense and locked herself in the bathroom with the 2-year-old. Police reports indicate no injuries to the children but do note that the 2-year-old was upset and confused when officers arrived. Sanchez-Ochoa later expressed remorse and was apologetic. He has an initial appearance Nov. 29.