Nappanee Man Sentenced In Four Criminal Cases
WARSAW — A Nappanee man was sentenced to a 1 1/2 year jail sentence in four criminal cases on Tuesday, Jan. 14, involving theft and forgery.
In the first case, Justin Orville Beach, 38, 451 E. Centennial St., Nappanee, was charged with one count of theft. In the second case, Beach was charged with two counts of forgery. In the third case, Beach was charged with theft. Beach was also charged with probation violation regarding an intimidation case from 2017.
On Dec. 31, 2017, an officer with the Syracuse Police Department responded to a report of theft at a Sunoco gas station. An employee at the gas station said that on Dec. 10, 2017, Beach pumped $30 worth of gas into his vehicle. According to court documents, Beach told the employee he would have to come back and pay for the gas because he left his wallet at home. The officer attempted to contact Beach regarding the issue but was unsuccessful.
On Feb. 26, 2019, an officer with the Warsaw Police Department received information from the Goshen Police Department regarding Beach pawning items at Cashland while using the identity of a deceased man. The officer went to Cashland and found that between Feb. 13 and Feb. 21, 2019, Beach used the deceased man’s identifying information to sell tools.
On Feb. 26, 2019, an officer with the Warsaw Police Department was dispatched to Menards regarding an attempted theft. The general manager of the store told the officer that employees saw Beach placing multiple power tools into a trash can and passing all points of sale without attempting to purchase the merchandise. Beach then took the trash can containing the merchandise to the garden center, where he left the items.
According to court documents, the officer made a traffic stop on Beach’s vehicle and found two unopened power tools that were stolen from Menards on Feb. 21, 2019. The value of the items stolen by Beach totaled approximately $628.
Defense Attorney John Barrett said Beach has accepted responsibility for his actions and has even gained trustee status within the Kosciusko County Jail.
For the Sunoco theft case, Kosciusko County Superior Court 3 Judge Joe Sutton sentenced Beach to a 60-day executed jail sentence in the Kosciusko County Jail, with 10 months suspended on formal probation. Sutton also ordered Beach to pay $30 in restitution to Sunoco.
For each count of forgery in the Cashland case, Sutton sentenced Beach to a six-month executed jail sentence in the KCJ, with 12 months suspended on formal probation. Each count will be served concurrently. Sutton also ordered Beach to pay $325 in restitution to Cashland.
For the Menards theft case, Sutton sentenced Beach to a six-month executed jail sentence in the KCJ, with 12 months suspended on formal probation. Sutton also ordered Beach to pay $628 in restitution to Menards.
In regards to a probation violation in a 2017 intimidation case, Beach was sentenced to four months in the KCJ, with four months suspended on formal probation.
All four sentences for each case will be served consecutively. Sutton also said he had no objection to Beach serving his sentences through work release or community corrections.