November 6, 2024

On Thursday, October 24, 31 pleas took place in the 100th Judicial District Court in Childress County.

Luke Inman, the District Attorney for the 100th Judicial District, along with Assistant District Attorney Harley Caudle, prosecuted the cases for the State of Texas, with the Honorable Judge Dale Rabe presiding.

Wesley Hugh Needham, 24, from Wellington, Texas was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the second degree felony offense of burglary of a habitation.

Needham was originally placed on probation for the offense on February 15, 2022. On October 8, the State filed its motion requesting the Court to adjudicate Needham’s probation, alleging 14 violations of his conditions of probation. Needham pleaded true to the allegations.

Needham was ordered to pay a $500 fine and $376 court costs

Christina Michelle Derr, 53, Hollis, Okla., was placed on three years probation for the third degree felony offense of exploitation of an elderly individual.

Derr was arrested by Hill in Childress on October 25, 2022. Derr was indicted by a Childress Grand Jury on June 4.

Derr was also ordered to pay a $500 fine, $450 in attorney fees, $340 in court costs, and complete 200 hours of community service. If her probation is adjudicated, Derr faces up to ten years in prison.

Melinda Kay Pena AKA Melinda K Carpenter, 35, Gould, Okla., was placed on two years probation for one offense of fraudulent use of possession of identifying information and three separate state jail felony offenses of credit card abuse.

Pena was arrested by Childress Police Officer Daniel Tyler for the offenses on May 22. Pena pleaded to four separate informations filed by the State on August 6.

Pena was also ordered to pay a $500 fine, $1,600 in attorney fees, $1,360 in court costs, and complete 100 hours of community service. If her probation is adjudicated, Pena faces up to two years in prison for each separate offense.

Due to each offense being a separate offense, if Pena violates all four of her cases, Pena’s sentences could run consecutively to one another.