Lynchburg man, guilty of taking Chromebook laptops at Wilmington HIgh School, goes to prison for breaking community controls

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WILMINGTON — One of the men who stole new Chromebook laptop computers at Wilmington High School in August 2016 is going to prison for violating community controls.

Dewey Evan Warman, 23, formerly of Lynchburg and Hillsboro, received a 12-month prison term at a Clinton County Common Pleas Court hearing for not completing required programming at the STAR Community Justice Center, a community-based correctional facility.

He was medically discharged from the STAR Program, and later did not seek medical attention or a medical clearance to return to STAR, stated court papers.

Warman fractured bones in his hand when he was in jail before going to the STAR Program, a court paper says. The fractured bones were caused by Warman striking a wall with his fist, added the court paper.

He was released from custody to deal with his medical condition and then be re-admitted to STAR, stated Clinton County Common Pleas Judge John W. “Tim” Rudduck in a court paper.

After admitting he did not seek medical attention, the judge gave Warman another opportunity to obtain a medical clearance. But he “failed to do so” and also failed to comply with reporting requirements of supervision, the judge wrote.

Warman’s part in the theft of laptops at WHS was revealed through DNA work. After Dusty Ray Oates, now 31, of Wilmington, would not identify his accomplice, a T-shirt used by Warman to cover his head and face during the incident was submitted to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for DNA processing, stated a police affidavit.

A blood sample was located, processed for DNA and then entered into a database for a possible match. A match was located to Warman.

Together, Warman and Oates took 60 laptops during the same month that Chromebook laptop computers were for the first time distributed to all WHS students as part of WHS’ 1-to-1 Chromebook Initiative.

After Oates was arrested, he turned over 33 laptops to Wilmington police. Soon afterward, a passerby discovered another 21 of the laptops at a cemetery in Highland County where they reportedly were stacked up by a path.

When Warman was found guilty in spring 2017, prosecution indicated it was not opposed to community controls that included STAR as a component, provided there were no bond violations and he remained of good behavior. STAR is an alternative to prison with the primary purpose of rehabilitation of non-violent, felony offenders.

At a fall 2017 court hearing for failing to complete the STAR Program, Warman was ordered to be placed on a GPS tracking device, but failed to report for the placement.

Regarding his prison term, Warman was granted time credit for 164 days in jail on the theft case, and 89 days in jail on a separate but related case where he failed to appear in court on the theft case.

Warman had a prior criminal history which included a three-year prison term for burglary in Highland County.

In other recent sentencings at common pleas court:

• Robert Christopher Perry, 40, of Blanchester, received nine months of imprisonment for heroin trafficking and for aggravated possession of drugs. He was granted time credit for three days already served in the trafficking case, and one day of credit for time already served in the possession case.

• Tiffany M. Paul, 30, of Blanchester, received a six-month term of incarceration, with time credit for 19 days already served, on a conviction for aggravated possession of drugs. The charge is a fifth-degree felony offense.

• James Lee Harner, 32, of Wilmington, received a suspended six-month jail term and was placed on community controls for two years after being found guilty of receiving stolen property. One of his community control rules is for him to complete programming at the STAR Community Justice Center in Franklin Furnace, Ohio. Harner was granted time credit for 67 days already spent in the county jail on the case.

Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.

Warman
http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2018/01/web1_warman_5-2.jpgWarman

Perry
http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2018/01/web1_robert_9-2.jpgPerry
Role in theft at WHS revealed via DNA

By Gary Huffenberger

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