Port Clinton man indicted in burglaries of seniors
An Ottawa County grand jury has indicted two men who allegedly were involved in burglaries of two elderly Port Clinton residents.
According to Prosecuting Attorney Mark E. Mulligan, Daniel Appleman, 37, who is being held at the Ottawa County Detention Facility, has been indicted in connection with two burglaries involving elderly Port Clinton residents.
The Port Clinton Police Department reported that Appleman entered two homes last month and took prescription medications, jewelry and other property. Bryce Miller, 20, who is also incarcerated at the OCDF, has been charged with his involvement in one of the burglaries.
According to a police report, windows on the west and south sides of a West Fremont Rd. house were kicked in, leading to a small storage area with boxes and other items. Police reported finding footprints in multiple locations and partial prints on a staircase leading to the kitchen.
The report said medication and jewelery boxes were missing, including valuables missing from the top of a bedroom dresser. The report said other jewelry boxes were open along the bed. The resident said a watch, valued at about $200, also was missing from her home.
Appleman turned himself in to the Sandusky Police Department on March 31.
The grand jury also indicted the following individuals:
• Joshua Jeffers, 32, whose last known address was in the 800 block of Delaware Ave., Port Clinton, was charged with one count each of forgery and theft, both fifth-degree felonies, after he allegedly cashed a fake check for more than $1,000 last fall.
• Vincent S. Judkins, 21, who is being held at the OCDF, has been indicted on one count of trafficking in drugs, along with multiple accounts of possession of drugs, after agents with the Ottawa County Drug Task Force found him in possession of heroin, cocaine, prescription medication and marijuana last month. The indictment alleges that the cocaine was packaged for distribution or sale and was in the vicinity of a child, and also contains a grand jury specification for the forfeiture of more than $1,000 in Judkins' possession at the time of his arrest.
• Laura L. Brown, 27, 1100 block of W. Fremont Rd., Port Clinton, has been charged with burglary and theft, felonies of the third and fifth degree, after she allegedly entered a Carroll Township residence in December. Jeffery Kiser, also known as Jeffery Bair, whose last known address was in the 400 block of N. Locust St., Oak Harbor, was charged with two felony counts of complicity, after deputies of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office determined that he aided Brown in committing the crimes.
• John A. Schmidlin, 45, whose last known address is Curtice, was charged with one count of failure to appear, a fourth-degree felony , after he failed to attend a hearing on another indictment earlier this month.
• Robert Mulherin, 33, of Swanton, has been charged with one count of theft, a fifth-degree felony, after he allegedly took property from an Allen Township construction site last year. A summons was issued for Mulherin to make his initial appearance in the Ottawa County Court of Common Pleas on May 11. Warrants were issued for all other defendants.
Mulligan noted that an indictment is a formal charge filed in the Common Pleas Court, and does not denote guilt or innocence.
jdenton@gannett.com