×

Man sentenced to 3 years

Defrietas

Defrietas

ELKINS — A Parkersburg man was sentenced in Randolph County Circuit Court after previously being convicted of driving while his license was revoked for DUI.

Larry Manuel Defrietas, 44, was sentenced to one to three years in the state penitentiary. The sentence was ordered to run concurrently with a one- to three-year sentence he is serving out of Wood County on the same charge.

Additionally, the one- to three-year sentence was ordered to run consecutively to a 12- to 14-year sentence he is serving out of Harrison County.

During a Sept. 26 hearing, Defrietas pleaded guilty to one felony count of driving while license revoked for DUI, third offense, as part of a plea agreement.

The state agreed to dismiss one felony count of fleeing in a vehicle resulting in bodily injury to a person, one felony count of fleeing in a vehicle with reckless disregard, one misdemeanor count of no registration and one misdemeanor count of no proof of insurance.

Randolph County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Richard Shryock represented the state while Defrietas appeared with Steve Nanners as defense counsel. Circuit Judge David Wilmoth presided.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Randolph County Magistrate Court, R.M. Schafer of the Natural Resources Police observed a vehicle operating with the headlights out on Route 49, known as Valley Fork Road, at approximately 9:40 p.m. on Oct. 4, 2014.

Schafer pulled behind the vehicle and observed as it “pulled in front of the vehicle that was in front of it and appeared to try and cut it off.” Schafer turned on his lights to attempt to initiate a traffic stop, at which time the vehicle “accelerated quickly and drove up the road towards Valley Head in a reckless manner.” Schafer traveled “approximately 9/10ths (sic) of a mile,” and observed the vehicle “setting (sic) in a ditch alongside the roadway,” the complaint states.

Schafer observed Defrietas getting out of the driver’s side door of the vehicle and he was “yelling out that he was sorry and that he had a felony out on him and he was currently out on bond and that he didn’t have a driver’s license.” Schafer ordered him to get on the ground, at which time he observed a female occupant in the passenger seat of the vehicle. She was “moving around a lot inside the vehicle but did not exit,” and Defrietas stated “he couldn’t lay down because he was hurt,” according to the complaint.

Schafer was unable to reach Randolph County 911 and could not make radio contact from the area. Schafer then switched to a different radio frequency and contacted the Webster County 911 center to dispatch an ambulance to the scene, police said.

Once assistance arrived on the scene, Schafer took a statement from the female in the vehicle who said “her ear and the side of her head was hurt,” and that she “saw my (Schafer’s) vehicle back where they passed me, but did not think I was trying to pull them over.” She also advised Schafer the truck had “faulty brakes,” and when the defendant hit the brakes, the truck “started swerving (sic) and hit a fence and then the bank,” the complaint states.

Schafer read Defrietas his Miranda rights and took a statement from him, in which he said he was “‘driving fast,’ and was ‘driving like an idiot,’ because he didn’t have a license and didn’t want me (Schafer) to see him.” Defrietas also reportedly said he was “mad at the guy in front of him for throwing gravel all over him,” and “he thought I (Schafer) was pulling over another vehicle (sic) and not him.”

Defrietas said that when he hit his brakes going around a turn, the vehicle skidded and crashed, police said.

Defrietas was taken by ambulance to the hospital. There was no proof of insurance located in the vehicle, the license plate on the vehicle was not registered to the vehicle and it was confirmed that Defrietas did not have a valid driver’s license, according to the complaint.

Also in Randolph County Circuit Court:

• Jasper Ray Alfred, 54, of Buckhannon, pleaded guilty to one felony count of grand larceny, the sole count he was indicted on, as part of a plea agreement.

The state deferred imposition of a sentence for 36 months. If Alfred breaks no laws, remains employed, keeps in contact with defense counsel, does not carry or possess a firearm and successfully passes random drug and alcohol screenings the charge will be dismissed.

Additionally, Alfred will be required to pay restitution in an amount to be determined by the Randolph County Probation Office.

Shryock represented the state while Alfred appeared with Nanners as defense counsel. Wilmoth presided.

• Cody Trevor Harris, 31, of Mabie, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of failure to register as a sexual offender or provide registration changes, as part of a plea agreement. This charge is a lesser included offense to the original charge of felony failure to register as a sexual offender or provide registration changes.

Per the agreement, the state dismissed four felony counts of failure to register as a sexual offender or provide notice of registration changes.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 7.

Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Parker represented the state while Harris appeared with James E. Hawkins Jr. as defense counsel. Wilmoth presided.

• A motion for bond modification in the case of Amy Louise Pharis, 28, of Elkins, was denied.

Pharis is charged with one felony count of wanton endangerment and one felony count of delivery of a controlled substance to an inmate. She remains housed at Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $35,000 cash-only bond.

Parker represented the state while Pharis appeared with Brian Bailey as defense counsel. Wilmoth presided.

• A motion for bond modification in the case of Tyler Dayne Fehrenbach, 24, of Elkins, was denied.

Fehrenbach is charged with one felony count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. He remains housed at TVRJ on a $25,000 cash-only bond.

Parker represented the state while Fehrenbach appeared with Timothy Prentice as defense counsel. Wilmoth presided.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $3.92/week.

Subscribe Today