18-year-old gets 9 years on burglary, drug charges

* Corey Allen Coker, 18, 2064 Morgan Road, No. 7, received an effective nine-year sentence after pleading guilty to an assortment of burglary and drug charges.

On a charge of possessing more than half an ounce of marijuana, Coker was sentenced to a year in prison and fined $2,000.

On a charge of aggravated burglary, he was sentenced to three years in prison and will serve that time concurrently with the first sentence. A related charge of theft of property in excess of $1,000 was dismissed. He had been accused of entering a Dyer County home last September and taking a Thompson muzzleloading rifle, eight pistols, two Remington shotguns, a Remington 30.06 rifle and two buck knives.

On a charge of aggravated burglary, Coker was sentenced to three years in prison. He is to serve that time consecutively to the first to sentences. A related charge of theft in excess of $1,000 was dismissed. He was accused of entering a Dyer County home on Dec. 2 and stealing two BB guns, a .22-caliber pistol, assistant knives, a wooden case, suitcase, ammunition and a Remington 870 Wingmaster shotgun.

On a charge of simple possession of cocaine, Coker was sentenced to 11 months, 29 days in the county jail and fined $750. He is to serve that sentence concurrently with the second burglary sentence but consecutively with the other sentences.

On a charge of burglary, Coker was sentenced to two years in prison and will serve that consecutively to the previous sentences. A related charge of vandalism in excess of $1,000 was dismissed. He had been accused of entering a Newbern shop building on Dec. 29 and damaging three doors, three fire extinguishers, a Gateway computer and three truck windshields.

On a charge of felony failure to appear, Coker was sentenced to a year in prison. He is to serve that time concurrently with the third burglary sentence and consecutively to the rest.

On a charge of aggravated burglary, Coker was sentenced to three years in prison. He must serve that time concurrently with the sentences for the Newbern shop burglary and the failure to appear charge but consecutively to the rest of the sentences. A related charge of theft less than $500 was dismissed. He had been accused of entering a woman's home Jan. 20 and taking a Taurus .38-caliber revolver and prescription medications.

* Mark Anthony Smith, 26, 810 Tibbs St., was sentenced to two years in prison on a charge of theft of property in excess of $1,000. He pleaded guilty to the charge on June 30. He was accused of stealing a John Deere Quick Attachment and miscellaneous iron and pipes from a Dyer County farmer in September; he sold the items to a Gates company. Smith is to serve the sentence consecutively with another sentence from Lake County.

* Kenneth Dura Thomas, 49, 104 Custer Ave., pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of selling less than half a gram of cocaine. He had been indicted for selling cocaine in a drug-free school zone. He was sentenced to eight years in prison as a multiple offender, which means he must serve at least 35 percent of his sentence before being considered for parole. The sentence will be served consecutively to a parole violation. He was fined $5,000 but the fine was suspended to $2,500. He was ordered to pay $160 restitution to the Dyer County Sheriff's Department narcotics division.