Holt County residents fined for sale of tobacco products

Four Holt County residents were convicted and sentenced in the Holt County courtroom, by the Honorable Kale Burdick last Tuesday, Dec. 19 for sale/procurement of nicotine products to underage consumers.

Shelley A. Jantz, 60, and Alexander Storjohann, 22, both of O’Neill, and Alberta Mikkelsen, 78, of Chambers, each pleaded guilty to the Class 3 misdemeanor count and was sentenced to $50 and $50 costs for Nov. 16 offenses.

Jade E. Meusch, 18, of Stuart entered a no contest plea, also to a Nov. 16 offense, and was found guilty by Kale. Meusch was sentenced to a $10 fine and $50 costs.

Burdick sentenced an Oklahoma man a total of $848 in fines and $52 costs, an amount equal to bond funds held by Holt County in a July case.

Jeffrey C. Cooper, 46, of Mustang, Oklahoma, submitted guilty pleas to charges of driving under suspension, a Class 1 misdemeanor, and providing false information, a Class 2 misdemeanor for crimes committed July 15 in rural Holt County. After receiving a warning for a speeding violation, a Nebraska State Patrol officer determined his license had been suspended in 2008. Cooper told the officer he had a work permit, but was unable to produce one nor evidence that one had been issued. Cooper, who had been in Holt County working as an engineer on a construction project, subsequently lost his job and returned to Oklahoma, according to court records.

Burdick allowed Cooper to handle the charges by waiver and submitted notarized document admitting guilt Dec. 10. Bond, in the amount of $10,000, 10% cash, posted July 22, was applied to the fine and costs.

Brock E. Lange, 31, of Stuart, pleaded guilty by waiver to a Class 2 misdemeanor count of taking a deer without a permit Nov. 16. He was fined $150 and $49 costs.