O'Neill man sentenced to additional jail time

An O’Neill man who was sentenced to serve time in the Holt County Jail by the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County court Dec. 17, for crimes in three separate cases, has now been sentenced in Holt County district court for crimes committed in two additional cases.

Alexander W. Larson, 20, faced the Honorable Mark Kozisek for sentencing last Friday, after district court scheduled for Dec. 30 was postponed due to a winter storm.

Kozisek sentenced Larson to 45 days in the Holt County Jail, followed by six months of post-release supervision through the Nebraska Probation Office, for a Class 3A felony count of terroristic threats, committed Aug. 1 in O’Neill. The jail sentence is to be served consecutive to the previous county court sentences ordered last month. Larson was also ordered to pay $139 costs of prosecution and a $30 enrollment fee for the post-release supervision program.

Pursuant to a plea agreement reached with Holt County attorney Brent Kelly, Larson changed his not guilty plea to guilty Nov. 25. In return, Kelly dropped a second identical count.

Larson was also sentenced on a Class 3 felony terroristic threat charge, committed Sept. 5. Kozisek ordered an 18-month term of probation, probation-related fees totaling $570 and $137 costs of prosecution. He was remanded to the custody of the county sheriff.

Per terms of the plea agreement, Larson pleaded guilty and Kelly dropped a Class 4 felony count of tampering with a witness in the September case.

Larson was represented by Holt County public defender Rod Smith.

Kozisek also sentenced a former Ewing man to a one-year term of probation for a misdemeanor count committed June 22.

Aaron B. Croom Sr., 32, pleaded guilty Nov. 25, to a Class 2 misdemeanor count of attempting to drive during a 15-year suspension, after reaching a plea agreement with Kelly.

As part of his probation, Croom was ordered to attend two Alcoholics Anonymous meetings per week and retain his current sponsor. He was ordered to pay a probation enrollment fee of $30 and $137 costs of prosecution. Monthly chemical testing fees and probation programming fees were waived.

Croom was arraigned in Holt County court July 23 on a Class 2 misdemeanor count of driving during suspension. Kelly amended the charge July 30, to a Class 2A felony count, driving during a 15-year suspension. Croom waived his right to a preliminary hearing and was bound over to the district court. In October, Kelly again amended the charge, reducing it to a Class 3 felony, attempt to drive during 15-year suspension. The charge was further reduced to a misdemeanor per terms of the plea agreement.

According to court documents, a Holt County investigator received a report Croom was driving from Ewing to O’Neill without a driver’s license. When stopped in O’Neill by the investigator, Croom acknowledged he had no driver’s license, but was trying to move to a new house in O’Neill. His wife, who was a passenger in the vehicle, did not possess a driver’s license either.

Croom was represented by Smith.