In Wetzel County Circuit Court on Friday, Lynn E. Gerena, 34, of 5102 Belmere Place, Apt. 2406, Tampa, Fla., entered a guilty plea to one count of felony child neglect resulting in injury.

The charges stem from an incident which occurred between Feb. 1, 2007, and March 27, 2007, in Paden City, in which Gerena allegedly neglected to seek timely medical treatment for two fractures to a child’s wrist.

“I should have been more aware of the child,” said Gerena, when asked to state for the court what he had done.

In accordance with a plea agreement executed between the defendant’s counsel, Patricia Kurelac, and the prosecutor’s office, Gerena received credit for time served, 106 days. He is to have no contact, direct or indirect, with the victim and is responsible for all costs of prosecution. Instead of being returned to the Northern Regional Jail, to begin the release process, at the request of his counsel, Gerena was released from the Wetzel County Courthouse when a special order was signed by Judge John T. Madden.

In a companion case, Nicole Wade, 25, of 811 Third Street, New Martinsville, entered a guilty plea to one count felony child neglect resulting in injury, as a result of the same incident in which Gerena was charged. An agreement was made between the prosecutor’s office and her counsel, John K. Chase IV of the Public Defender Corporation. She was issued a suspended sentence and placed on probation for two years. She is responsible for all costs of prosecution.

Krista Dawn Dennis, 22, of 265 Virginia St., New Martinsville, was sentenced to two to 10 years in the West Virginia State Penitentiary for Women.

Dennis was charged with one count of abuse of an elderly person, alleging she abused Katherine Muncie, a female person over the age of 65, by striking her in the head with her hand. She was previously arrested in Monroe County, Ohio, as well. Therefore, the prosecutor’s office and defense counsel Kevin Neiswonger agreed on terms that were acceptable for all involved Wetzel county parties. It was stated that charges pending in Ohio would be addressed at the discretion of the Monroe County Prosecutor’s office.

On Dec. 5 Dennis was remanded to the NRJ to be delivered to the Commissioner of Corrections to begin her sentence.

In other court matters, Bryan Michael Long, 21, of 130 N. Bridge St., Chapel View Apartments, Apt. B2, New Martinsville pleaded guilty on Friday to one count possession of a controlled substance (heroin), with intent to deliver, and one count manufacturing a controlled substance (marijuana).

“I was selling heroin,” said Long, when asked by Judge Madden to explain what he had done in regards to the first count. He added, “I was growing marijuana,” when asked about the second count of manufacturing a controlled substance.

The Wetzel County Probation Officer John Lantz will conduct a pre-sentencing investigation as a part of the defendant’s plea agreement. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 31 at 9:30 a.m. Bond may continue.

In a companion case, Randelin N. Long, 19, of 130 N. Bridge St., Chapel View Apartments, Apt. B2, New Martinsville, appeared in court with her counsel, Jeremiah Gardner of the Public Defender Corporation.

Randelin Long was charged with one count of delivery of a controlled substance, (heroin), to have taken place in July 2008 and one count of manufacturing a controlled substance, (marijuana), to have taken place in July 2008.

After requests for discovery were met by both the defense and the prosecutor’s office, Prosecutor Timothy Haught moved that all counts be dismissed and that it has been concluded that Bryan M. Long was the sole actor in the offense. The defendant was released and bond was discharged..