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Lake County District Court news for Oct. 8, 2014

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Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases on Oct. 2:

Travis Thingelstad, 30, Ronan, admitted violating an order of protection on two counts, both misdemeanors, and pleaded guilty. The charges were reduced from stalking, a felony charge. The Court made its findings, accepted his plea and found Thingelstad guilty of the charge. 

Thingelstad was sentenced to the Lake County Jail for six months with all but seven days suspended on the first count. On the second count, Thingelstad received a six-month sentence to LCJ with all suspended, with sentences to run consecutively.

The charges stemmed from between April 11 and June 1, when Thingelstad, under a no contact order, harassed and intimidated the victim in person and by sending more than 400 degrading, threatening and derogatory text messages, according to court documents.

Jerome Louis O’Brien, Sr., 32, Big Arm, admitted committing the amended offense of theft, a felony. The court made its findings, accepted the plea and found O’Brien guilty. 

Sentencing is set for Nov. 6. 

According to court documents O’Brien was placed in charge of a computer, two GPS units, a video camera and chainsaw during his employment with the Salish Kootenai College Extension Office in summer 2013. A supervisor told O’Brien to return the property to the office, but O’Brien failed to do so. 

In February 2014 a college employee found one of the GPS units and the computer at the White Elephant Pawn Shop in Ronan. One GPS unit had already been pawned. The store’s records showed that O’Brien had pawned the items. 

In addition, O’Brien used SKC accounts to make unauthorized purchases of a reciprocal saw and chainsaw at Ace Hardware in Polson and Ronan. 

O’Brien admitted to the crime and told a Lake County Sheriff’s Office investigator that he was in financial trouble when he stole the items. 

Richard Allen Oppelt, 30, Polson, had his sentence for criminal endangerment revoked. According to court records, he violated his parole by running from the probation office and was later apprehended at gunpoint. He also tested positive for methamphetamine, THC and benzodiazepine.

Oppelt was committed to the Department of Corrections for two years.  

David Lawrence Minter, 40, was sentenced to the DOC for five years with all suspended for failure to give notice of change of address by sexual or violent offender, a felony. 

According to court documents, charges stem from a June 10 incident where Minter allegedly hit a man in the head when the man asked to use Minter’s lighter. When another man asked why Minter did that, Minter allegedly hit that man in the mouth, stuck his finger in his eye, and bit him on the leg. Minter then left and came back with a club and a serrated steak knife. Minter threatened to kill them and blow them up while he was turning on the trailer’s propane tank. Minter left. When a Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy contacted Minter by phone, Minter told the deputy to “go f—- yourself.” Further investigation revealed an extensive criminal history, according to court documents. Minter was released from prison in Georgia on Sept. 22 after serving a sentence for aggravated assault. Lake County Sheriff’s Office has no record of Minter registering as a violent offender in Lake County.

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