WASHINGTON COUNTY — A 29-year-old Hoffman man was sentenced Tuesday in Washington County Court to 7-years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, after he pleaded guilty to a string of felony charges contained in multiple cases.

Garrett Ralston (Source: WCSO)
Garrett Ralston
(Source: WCSO)

Garrett Ralston was sentenced to 3-years for Class 4 felony unlawful possession of a credit or debit card and Class 3 felony theft. The 3-year sentence in that case is to be served consecutively to a 4-year sentence in another case for Class 3 threatening a public official.

Ralston was initially arrested in January, after he had barricaded himself in a Nashville home when officers went to arrest him in connection with a car burglary in December.

It was alleged that Ralston had written five checks to the Okawville American Legion from a checkbook and used a debit-credit card he’d taken from the car.

On December 17th, Ralston allegedly broke into a residence belonging to Chris Maschhoff and Spenner and took several items with a value of over $500, including another debit – credit card.

He was charged with five counts of Forgery, two counts of Possession of Another’s Debit – Credit Card, 2 counts of Theft, Unlawful Use of Account Numbers, Burglary, Residential Burglary and Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.

In a separate case related to the standoff, Ralston was charged with three Class 3 felony counts of threatening a public official, with him pleading guilty to one count.

In yet a third and separate case, Ralston was charged in court Tuesday with nine Class 4 felony counts of stalking and one misdemeanor count of phone harassment. All counts in the third case and the remaining counts in the other two cases were nolle prossed, meaning the state is electing to not pursue prosecution at this time, but can recall the charges at a later date.

Ralston has remained in the Washington County Jail since his January arrest, with bail set at $80,000.

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