Two appear on drug distribution charges

Jan. 23--In first appearances Monday, two appeared on drug distribution charges and a man pleaded to a traffic misdemeanor.

District Magistrate Judge Bill Malcolm found Colton Gardiner guilty of driving without liability insurance and pleaded no contest in Clay County District Court Monday afternoon. The court dismissed a second charge of driving with illegal registration. Gardiner said he was driving a vehicle just purchased from a dealership for a friend who didn't have a driver's license.

Malcolm fined Gardiner $300, assessed another $108 in court costs, sentenced to five days in jail suspended and placed him on immediate unsupervised probation for six months.

Malcolm gave three men until March 5 to hire their own attorneys, including Cody Hood, charged with felony criminal possession of a firearm; Anthony Conforti, charged with felony possession of cocaine with intent to distribute felony possession of drug paraphernalia; and Christopher Jordan, charged with felony possession of oxycodoene, felony possession of another controlled substance, and operating a motor vehicle without a tag light.

In other first appearances, Malcolm appointed attorney for and set hearings for:

--Dean Henry was set a probation violation hearing in a felony case for next month.

--Trevor Book, charged with seven drug charges, was set for a preliminary hearing on March 21. Book is charged with seven felonies, including possession of 1 gram to 3.5 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of less than 25 grams of marijuana with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of hydrocodone, unlawful possession of unlawful possession of alprazolam, possession of oxycodone and felony possession of drug paraphernalia. Book is also charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana (first offense) and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

--Randall Wernecke, charged with felony making a false information and misdemeanor falsely reporting a crime, was set for a status hearing on Jan. 31. Wernecke is also facing motions to revoke probation in three cases.

--James Bastion, charged with felony possession of methamphetamine, misdemeanor possession of marijuana (first offense), misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor interference with law enforcement, is set for a preliminary hearing on March 5.

In other cases, Malcolm continued a hearing for Everett James until Feb. 12, and extended a pay or appear date for Ashley Henshaw for $208 owed in a driving while suspended case until March 26.

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