A recent threat at Marietta High School has led to the indictment of a Marietta man.
Darren C. Farnese, 18, of 121 Muskingum Drive, was one of 17 people indicted by a Washington County grand jury, which issued its report Monday.
"He showed up at a local high school and threatened a girl with some knives," said Washington County Prosecutor Jim Schneider
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Farnese
Farnese was indicted on one fifth-degree felony county of illegal conveyance or possession of a deadly weapon in a safety or school zone and one fourth-degree felony count of menacing by stalking, said Schneider.
According to Marietta Police Capt. Jeff Waite, Farnese was apprehended on his bicycle by the Marietta Police Department Sept. 6. Earlier that day, Farnese had allegedly been on Marietta High School grounds and had shown the victim knives he was carrying.
When apprehended police found three knives on his person.
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Other indictments included:
- Aaron E. Harter, 33, of 313 Van Bergen Ave., was indicted on two third-degree felony counts of gross sexual imposition, one third-degree felony counts of sexual battery and one third-degree misdemeanor count of sexual imposition.
Harter was arrested in August after one of the two child victims of the alleged crimes informed her mother of the sexual abuse.
Confronted by the mother in a phone call, Harter did not deny the allegations, said Schneider.
The August incident, involving a 13-year-old girl, resulted in the sexual battery charge.
The two gross sexual imposition charges stem from events in January and February of 2010, which involve a second victim.
"He was accused of sexual touching of a female who was 12 at the time," said Schneider.
The misdemeanor charge stemmed from a July event involving the same victim.
"Because she was 15 at the time, it could not be charged as a felony," said Schneider.
- Stephen M. Partin, 22, and Sarah A. Partin, 21, of 313 Franklin St., Marietta were each charged with one fifth-degree felony count of sale or use of drugs not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and one fifth-degree felony count of possession criminal tools.
The Partins are accused of distributing K2, a synthetic drug that mimics the effects of marijuana.
Though illegal now, K2 was not yet on the banned substances list when the Partins were caught by members of the Major Crime Task Force on Aug. 29, 2011, said prosecutor Amy Graham.
"What we think is they were selling this stuff to the neighborhood juveniles," said Graham.
When task force agents raided the Partins' home, they also found scales, oils, acetone and other materials commonly used to manipulate K2 for resale.
"Kids were getting violently sick and passing out," said Graham.
Task force agents also confiscated more than $5,000 in cash, said Graham.
- Justin L. Haddad, 20, of 1014 Lair Ave., Parkersburg, W.Va., was indicted on two fourth-degree felony counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. On Nov. 28 and Dec. 20, Haddad, then 19, engaged in consensual sexual encounters with a 15-year-old female, said prosecutors.
- James Fyffe, 26, of 1630 Hilamarn Road, Stockport, was indicted on one fifth-degree felony count of theft. Fyffe allegedly broke into three vehicles after being kicked out of a bar in Beverly.
"In one car, he stole a laptop, a Samsung notepad and some clothing," said Schneider.
Beverly police saw the vehicle Fyffe drove away in and contacted McConnelsville police who were able to search the vehicle and retrieve all of the stolen property, said Schneider.
The thefts from the other two cars were charged as misdemeanors by the Beverly Police Department.
- Kevin S. Bradshaw, 53, of Stanley Mills Road, Little Hocking, was charged with one third-degree felony count of tampering with drugs, two fifth-degree felony counts of possession of drugs and one first-degree misdemeanor count of possession of drugs.
On June 16, task force agents executed a search warrant at Bradshaw's residence. There they found trace amounts of cocaine and five Oxycontin tablets, which resulted in the fifth-degree felonies; seven Xanax pills, which resulted in the misdemeanor; and ground up Vicodin pills, which resulted in the tampering charge, said Schneider.
- Clinton A. Barnes, 21, of 366 Arends Ridge Road, Marietta, was charged with one fourth-degree felony count of receiving stolen property and one third-degree felony count of theft.
"We charged it both ways, but it is one crime," said Schneider.
Barnes allegedly stole his brother's gun and was attempting to sell it. On Alderman Street, Barnes stopped a woman and asked if she or her husband would be interested in buying a gun.
"She thought that was suspicious, so she took the license number and described the car," said Schneider.
Police located Barnes and his vehicle a block away.
- Thomas J. Cline, 37, and Amy D. Bickham, of 865 Smith Hill Road, were each charged with one second-degree felony count of burglary.
On Dec. 20, Cline allegedly broke into the home of David Farrar and stole around $200. Farrar, who had been the victim of previous thefts, had set up a video camera, which caught Cline getting out of a van and entering the home.
Through investigation, police found the van was registered to Bickham, who denied involvement when initially questioned, but later admitted to driving Cline to the address. Bickham was charged as an accomplice, said Schneider.
- Paul D. Minks, 26, of 1190 Wilbur Ave., Akron, was charged with one fourth-degree felony count of trafficking in marijuana, one fifth-degree count of trafficking in cocaine and two fifth-degree felony counts of possession of drugs.
Minks was pulled over by the Ohio State Highway Patrol on Dec. 23 near mile post 13 on I-77. The officer found five baggies of cocaine and several baggies of marijuana in the car, said Schneider.
The possession charges and the trafficking charges are two different ways of charging the substances. Ultimately Minks can only face one of the charges for each substance, said Schneider.
- Thomas I. Valentine, 30, of 305 Harmar St., Marietta, was charged with one second-degree felony count of burglary. Valentine did not try to steal anything but entered a Grandview Avenue home on Aug. 27 with the purpose to commit a criminal offense, according to prosecutors.
"He'd been arguing with his wife, or ex-wife, and she left with the child," said Schneider.
Valentine followed her and busted into the home, harassing her and threatening physical harm, said Schneider.
- Nathan Tyson, 25, of 1115 Lovers Lane, Beverly, was charged with one third-degree felony count of having weapons while under a disability, one fourth-degree misdemeanor count of domestic violence and two first-degree misdemeanor counts of child endangering and aggravated menacing.
When assaulting the victim on Sept. 1, a 3-year-old female child was present, resulting in the endangerment charge, said Schneider.
- Torrey T. Swain, 32, of 121 Spring St., Marietta, was charged with three third-degree felony counts of trafficking in drugs. The Major Crimes Task Force received a tip police in Akron that Swain was residing in Marietta.
Swain was wanted on a warrant for a parole violation in Summit County. On Feb. 27, task force agents obtained a search warrant and found cocaine, an unspecified amount of Suboxone pills and 91 Xanax pills at the residence.
Agents also seized $1,854 and an Apple iPad that another resident of the house claimed Swain had purchased with drug profits, said Schneider.
- Ryan A. Davis, 29, of Cisler Drive, Marietta, was indicted on one fifth-degree felony count of voyeurism. Davis allegedly was peeping in the window of two children, ages 4 and 6, while they were either nude or in a state of undress, said Schneider.
- William H. Keel, 50, of 1666 Schoolhouse Road, Little Hocking, was charged with one fifth-degree felony count of cultivation of marijuana, and two third-degree felony counts of having weapons under a disability and illegal cultivation of marijuana.
Keel's residence was searched in early September by Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies and Major Crimes Task Force agents where they recovered 68 marijuana plants, from both inside Keel's residence and in his surrounding garden.
Police also found a Marlin .22 long rifle in the residence, which Keel was prohibited from having because of a felony conviction in 1991, said Schneider.
Though not a student at Marietta High School, Farnese had met the female student through mutual friends and was threatening to harm the girl if she did not agree to go out with him, said Waite.
Also indicted was Ronald W. Gilbert, 47, of 920 Quarry St., Marietta, who threw a safe out of the second story window of a neighbor's house and later cracked it open, said Schneider.
On July 15, Gilbert was visiting with the neighbors in the front yard when he asked to use the bathroom.
"He was inside and was there for a long time," said Schneider.
When he came back out, Gilbert claimed he had to leave, and oddly left through the backyard.
When the victims went to get money out of the safe the next day, it was nowhere to be found.
"The safe was stolen along with a couple thousand dollars in it," said Schneider.
Having been the only other person inside the home, Gilbert became the prime suspect and a warrant was obtained. Police searched his home and retrieved all but $600 of the victims' money.
"The safe was out back in his shed smashed to smithereens," said Schneider.
Gilbert was charged with one second-degree felony for burglary, one fourth-degree felony for safe cracking and one fifth-degree felony for theft.
