Local man sentenced for paying local businesses and sellers with bad checks
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IDAHO FALLS — A 20-year-old has been sentenced for two cases in which he bought trucks, ATVs, and more with checks without having money in his bank account.
Paul Yantis was sentenced in Bonneville County on Monday by District Judge Dane Watkins Jr. to a minimum of two and a half years and a maximum of six years in prison. He will also be required to pay restitution to the victims in the case.
Watkins then retained jurisdiction and placed Yantis on a “rider,” which requires him to complete a one-year treatment program in prison. Once the program ends, Watkins can decide whether to send Yantis to prison for his given sentence or release him on probation.
Yantis was initially charged in Bonneville County with felony burglary, felony grand theft and felony check, draft or order drawn on an account with insufficient funds. He was also charged in Bingham County with felony check, draft or order drawn on an account with insufficient funds, felony burglary and a probation violation.
In April, Yantis accepted a “global” plea agreement for both aforementioned cases. In it, he agreed to plead guilty to an amended charge in Bonneville of felony drawing a check with insufficient funds, and the same charge in Bingham, while the prosecution agreed to dismiss the remaining charges in both cases.
On June 10, Yantis was sentenced in Bingham County to two and a half years of felony probation. Both sentences will run concurrently.
Yantis previously failed to appear for multiple hearings and a sentencing in these cases, and a warrant was issued in Bingham County for a probation violation, and two felony warrants were issued in Bonneville County.
He was eventually arrested and booked into the Bingham County Jail before being moved to Bonneville to face his charges there.
Yantis still has two remaining cases against him for similar allegations in Bonneville and Madison County.
He is scheduled to appear for a jury trial in Bonneville County in a separate case on Nov. 25, where he is charged with felony burglary and felony forgery.
Sentencing
Because Yantis has multiple other court cases which have not yet been settled, Watkins discussed with the attorneys whether or not to continue with sentencing Monday morning.
“We’ve been calendared in the past for sentencing, and there have been additional moving parts,” said Watkins. “We recognize that Bingham County conducted their sentencing, and there was an additional Bonneville County case that was slowing things down.”
After deciding to continue with sentencing, Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal recommended a term of probation for Yantis as outlined in the plea agreement, mentioning that Yantis still has another Bonneville County case that needs to be settled.
“Based on the limited circumstances there, the state is going to recommend probation in compliance with that plea agreement,” said Neal. “We will leave the argument with that, Judge.”
Yantis’ defense attorney, John Thomas argued that Yantis may have mental health issues, that caused him to purchase the ATV’s, and other vehicles in a “manic state.”
“I think there’s a mental health component here that needs to be addressed with Mr. Yantis. I don’t think it’s just, you know, a misunderstanding of ‘Hey I thought I was just gonna write a check and I didn’t,'” said Thomas. “I think this is possibly some bipolar-type behavior where he becomes manic. He went out and bought several vehicles, a side-by-side and a four-wheeler. Then he just couldn’t pay for them, so he had to take them back.”
Thomas says he does not think his client scammed people “maliciously,” but did it because of mental illness.
“I don’t think that Mr. Yantis was necessarily doing this maliciously, or trying to skate on having to pay for these vehicles, I think that there is something that can be addressed while he is on probation as far as mental health goes,” said Thomas. “I certainly think all of this could be done on probation.”
In closing, Thomas mentioned that he does not believe the prosecution would have agreed to recommend probation if they had known that Yantis was going to be charged with more felonies in other counties at the time the signed the plea agreement.
“I realize that the state probably would not have made this agreement had they known all of the other issues Mr. Yantis had in other counties, and even in this county,” said Thomas. “But, it is what it is, and this is very rare that this type of situation comes up.”
Yantis provided a short statement to the court, telling Watkins there was no malicious intent to his actions.
“There was no malicious intent in the crimes committed in this case. I understand that I took a different route, but it’s, like he said, there was no destructive intent,” said Yantis. “I understand my mistakes there, with that I would ask for probation.”
Watkins addressed Yantis before pronouncing sentence, saying he doesn’t believe that every situation was without malice, and that
“The statement that there was no malicious intent, I don’t know that the court accepts that entirely. Your operation appeared to be loose, and it was a financial one in which there were obligations coming and going, your expectation that you would be paid and you would rely on that,” said Watkins. “You simply were unable to perform under this case, and the real question is, at what point did you come to that awareness that you would not be able to perform and continue to operate in this loose way?”