Plea reached in car theft

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A plea agreement was reached Monday in Red Willow County District Court with a Wilsonville, Nebraska, man accused of stealing a Bristol Windows company vehicle from the Chief Motel in July. The offender, 18-year-old Jesse J. Maret, will subsequently face sentencing on a Class IV felony offense of theft by unlawful taking, stemming from the crime.

The plea agreement, offered by Red Willow County Attorney Paul Wood, reduced the charge from a Class III felony version.

Maret was arrested in Holdrege shortly after local law enforcement officers received a complaint of an individual driving carelessly. Investigators located the vehicle involved in the careless driving incident, a 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, and discovered it was reported stolen from McCook.

Maret was subsequently identified as the driver of the vehicle and arrested.

The vehicle keys were left in the vehicle at the time it was stolen, according to court documents.

Other activity Monday in Red Willow County District Court:

* 36-year-old Paul A. Miller of 1606 W. Eighth Street was sentenced to 36 months probation after admitting guilt to misdemeanor offenses for drug possession and criminal mischief. Miller was convicted of a Class I misdemeanor offense of possession of methamphetamine; a Class III misdemeanor offense of possession of cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride; and a Class II misdemeanor criminal mischief offense for causing $200-$500 in damage to a City of McCook vehicle.

Miller accepted a plea agreement in July that reduced a felony possession of methamphetamine charge, originally filed against him, to the three misdemeanor offenses.

* 37-year-old Jeffrey J. Leibrandt of 1104 W. Fifth Street was sentenced to 24 months probation after accepting a plea agreement in June that admitted guilt to a Class IV felony charge for possession of methamphetamine. Leibrandt was originally charged with additional offenses of driving under suspension and possession of drug paraphernalia, stemming from a March 2013 traffic stop on U.S. Highway 83.

* 25-year-old Destinee Sitzman of Indianola pleaded not guilty to a Class III felony offense of possession of methamphetamine. A motions hearing was subsequently scheduled in the case at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 7, 2013.

* 25-year-old Holly Nation of Culbertson, Nebraska, pleaded not guilty to a Class IV felony offense of possession of methamphetamine and a possession of marijuana infraction. A motions hearing was subsequently scheduled in the case at 9:15 a.m. on Oct. 7, 2013