Plea deals reached in Antelope County district court cases

Michael Doty of 29, of Page faced the Honorable James Kube in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh on March 29, for pretrial hearing on two Class 3A felony counts. He was charged with making terroristic threats and a Class 3 misdemeanor, disturbing the peace. A plea agreement was announced by Doty’s attorney, Antelope County public defender Pat Carney. Antelope County Attorney Joe Smith dismissed one terroristic threat count and the disturbing the peace charge and agreed to file no further charges in the case. In return, Doty pleaded guilty to the remaining count of making a terroristic threat, committed June 28, 2022, in Orchard. Kube ordered a presentence investigation report and set sentencing May 31. Bond, in the amount of $20,000, 10% cash, is continued.

A Sioux City, Iowa, couple, Brent A. Jonas, 45, and his wife, Christina M. Jonas, 37, appeared for pretrial hearing, each charged with two counts alleged Sept. 18, 2022, Count I, a Class 2A felony, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and Count II, a Class 4 felony, possession of methamphetamine. Plea bargains were announced by the Jonas’ respective court-appointed attorneys, Carney and Martin Klein of Neligh

Smith filed amended complaints in both cases, charging each with one count, possession of marijuana, more than one pound, a Class 4 felony, and agreed to file no additional charges, contingent on negative results on any drug tests. Kube re-arraigned them on the amended complaints and informed them of the possible penalties resulting from their guilty pleas, up to two years imprisonment and/or up to $10,000 fines. If convicted of the original charges, they would have each faced up to 20 years in prison on Count I and up to two years and/or up to a $10,000 fine on Count II.

They each pleaded guilty to the amended charge. Kube ordered PSI reports and set sentencing May 31. Brent Jonas’ bond is continued at $10,000, 10%, and Christina Jonas’ bond is continued at $50,000, 10%, with conditions for not leaving the states of Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota.

While reciting the factual basis for the charges, Smith said the couple was passing through Antelope County, traveling from Colorado where they had legally purchased a large quantity of marijuana products. He said Colorado law limits each person’s purchases to a total of one ounce per day but indicated the couple had circumvented the limit by purchasing from multiple suppliers that used different computer systems. Brent Jonas disagreed with the statement and said all Colorado sellers use the same computer system, with the one-ounce daily limit.