The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

May 16, 2008

Convicted sex offender pleads guilty

By Amelia A. Pridemore

A convicted sex offender faces prison time after pleading guilty to failing to update his information with State Police.

Andrew Milton Gladwell, 34, of Beaver, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of first-offense felony failure to register as a sex offender.

Assistant Raleigh County prosecutor Andrew Demlich said Gladwell could face one to five years in prison for each count. Sentencing is scheduled for July 8.

Demlich said Gladwell was convicted of attempted first-degree sexual assault on May 16, 1996, in Greenbrier County, and because of that, he was required to register as a sex offender. Gladwell did not inform State Police in a timely manner when he began driving another vehicle. Gladwell did the same when he stopped using a particular phone number.

Eric Shuck, Gladwell’s public defender, noted Gladwell was prepared to enter a plea sometime last year and had difficulty responding to the court’s inquiries. Gladwell cannot read or write, and the court became concerned with his competency. However, a psychiatrist deemed Gladwell competent to stand trial and criminally responsible.

Shuck presented Circuit Judge H.L. Kirkpatrick with Gladwell’s statement supporting his guilty plea, saying he read the questions to Gladwell and transcribed his answers.

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Kirkpatrick sentenced a Beckley woman to prison Friday for felony shoplifting, noting she was a familiar face in his courtroom.

Kimberly Rosetta Logan, 31, was sentenced to one to 10 years in prison for third-offense shoplifting. She is already incarcerated at the Lakin Correctional Center in Mason County, serving time for another conviction. Friday’s sentence and the other will run concurrently.

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A Sophia woman received a suspended sentence for a drug-related conviction.

Andrea Marie Austin, 36, pleaded guilty to attempt to commit a felony (delivery of a controlled substance). Kirkpatrick sentenced her to a one-to-three-year prison term, which was suspended. She was placed on probation for one year, and she must submit to frequent and random substance abuse screens.

Demlich said the charges against Austin stemmed from an April 2006 incident where she sold an 80-milligram OxyContin pill to a confidential informant near her home.

— E-mail:

apridemore@register-herald.com

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