8/5/11 Ashland man gets probation for attempted theft at WalMart

  • By Nick Sabo
  • August 5, 2011
  • 342
                        
An Ashland man sentenced Thursday Aug. 4 will be monitored by Holmes County adult probation authorities to keep a better eye on him, a common pleas judge said. Eafrom O. Cheatham, 47, 442 Diamond St., was sentenced by Holmes County Common Pleas Judge Robert D. Rinfret to three years probation on one count of attempted burglary. The charge stems from Oct. 11, 2010, when Cheatham and a codefendant allegedly entered the Millersburg WalMart and filled a cart with merchandise. According to Holmes County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Chris Oehl, Cheatham and John H. Lovett, Jr., 52, 809 King St., Mansfield, placed some of the items in WalMart bags they brought with them, packing other items underneath. They tried to push the cart out the door and were confronted by security, and the security guard was shoved out of the way as Cheatham and Lovett fled. Ingrid Cheatham, 50, 442 Diamond St., Mansfield, lied to police investigating Eafrom Cheatham’s whereabouts. At the time, Cheatham was banned from entering WalMart after being convicted of similar thefts involving other stores. Ingrid Cheatham and Lovett pleaded to misdemeanor charges in municipal court. Eafrom Cheatham was charged in a grand jury indictment with robbery and burglary. The charges carried up to 13 years in prison. The burglary charges stem from the court order barring Cheatham from WalMart. Cheatham pleaded after a joint sentencing agreement was arrived at between his attorney, Thomas White, and Oehl that recommended probation. Cheatham entered an Alford plea to the attempted burglary charge, allowing him to accept the plea offer without admitting guilt. An Alford plea is entered when a defendant, claiming innocence, is offered a plea deal that is better than risking the outcome of a trial. While Cheatham is a resident of Ashland County and therefore eligible to be monitored through the Ashland courts, Rinfret said Cheatham will be reporting to Holmes County. “I’m going to stick to the joint sentencing recommendation,” Rinfret said. “I’m going to also let you know, I’m not going to transfer you to Ashland. I’m going to keep you on probation here. The reason I’m doing that is we’re going to keep an eye on you.” As a term of probation, Rinfret ordered Cheatham to maintain employment.


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