Guenette pleads guilty in Harrison County, sentenced to community control

Eric Guenette, of New Philadelphia, appeared in Harrison County Common Pleas Court this week to change his pleas in two cases.

The first case involved one charge of breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony. The second case included one count of grand theft of a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony, and another charge of breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony.

“It’s the court’s understanding that if the defendant enters a plea, the state’s recommendation would be community based controls and completing the program at the Eastern Ohio Corrections Center,” said Judge T. Shawn Hervey. “Is that correct, Madam Prosecutor?”

“It is,” Attorney Lauren Knight said. “With the addition of restitution in the 2025-41 case of $289.84.”

Hervey addressed Guenette, confirming the recommendation was what he expected. He explained that community-based controls would include whatever programming the adult probation office deemed necessary.

Guenette asked whether sentencing in this case would affect other cases he faces in another county.

“You’re going to have to go first somewhere,” Hervey said. “So if you go first here, this case is done, and whatever happens in your other cases won’t count against you in this case because they’ve already been heard.”

He assured Guenette that for any community-based control, the court would only be concerned with violations that occurred after sentencing.

“So even if you were sentenced in the other case or if you were found to have violated probation in another case, that wouldn’t affect us unless it’s something new that happened after today … does that make sense?”

Guenette said he understood and pleaded guilty in both cases.

He was sentenced to two years of community-based controls to run concurrently, 80 hours of community service, restitution, court costs, completion of the Eastern Ohio Corrections Center program and a reserved sentence of 15 months.