A Wellston man has been handed three state prison sentences after he pleaded guilty to three felony charges.
Formal felony charges of child neglect and domestic assault and battery by strangulation were filed in Lincoln County District Court July 24, 2023 against Robert Nathaniel Cohran, 34.
He was also charged on Jan. 23, 2023 in Lincoln County District Court with domestic assault and battery by strangulation.
Appearing before Associate District Judge Sheila Kirk during a felony disposition docket on Jan. 16, Cohran entered guilty pleas to all three counts as the result of a plea bargain. The court received the pleas and found him guilty as charged on all counts.
The judge sentenced him to 20 years in the Department of Corrections on the child neglect charge with all time suspended except the first seven years, fined him $100, assessed a $50 VCA and court costs.
On the domestic assault and battery by strangulation count filed on July 24, he was sentenced to three years in DOC, handed a $100 fine and $50 VCA and ordered to pay court costs. Judge Kirk said the sentences are to run concurrent with each other and with the threeyear state prison term she handed him on the domestic assault and battery by strangulation filed on Jan. 23, 2023.
Cohran was placed on supervised probation with DOC, ordered to pay 991C fees and he received credit for time served.
He is to report to the Probation Office within 10 days of his release and to the Court Clerk’s Office within 180 days of release.
Cohran was one of four persons from Wellston who was charged last July with child neglect.
Also charged were Vanessa Marie Poore, 33, Courtney Diana Eaton, 29, and Steven Owen Cohran, 32.
A jury trial has been scheduled for one of four persons from Wellston charged with child neglect and two others have been arraigned. The fourth is scheduled for arraignment later this month.
The four were residing in the same residence with nine children at the time of their arrest.
The nine children reportedly have been placed into custody with the Department of Human Services until a proper home is found.
During her arraignment Nov. 28 before District Judge John Canavan, Eaton pleaded not guilty.
Judge Canavan set her case for the felony disposition docket on May 7, 2024 and scheduled a jury trial for June 17, 2024.
At their arraignments on Dec. 19, Poore and Steven Owen Cohran each pleaded not guilty.
During the felony disposition docket on Jan. 16, Poore withdrew her earlier plea of not guilty and entered a guilty plea as the result of a plea bargain. The court received and plea and found her guilty as charged The judge sentenced Poore to 10 years in the custody of DOC with all time suspended. She fined Poore $100, and a $100 VCA and ordered her to pay court costs.
She is to obtain a drug and alcohol assessment and complete all recommendations and pay 991C fees. Poore is to testify against a co-defendant, she was placed on supervised probation with Oklahoma Court Services and is to report to the Probation Office and Court Clerk’s Office.
Steven Owen Cohran was set for the jury trial call docket earlier this week.
In the child neglect counts against each, it states the four defendants neglected four children by failing to provide adequate shelter, having the children live in a home without running water or a working sewer, and littered with trash, cockroaches, bedbugs, human feces and rotten food at a residence in Wellston.
The domestic assault and battery by strangulation count against Robert Nathiel Cohran accused him on July 11 of strangling or attempting to strangle Courtney Eaton with whom he was in a dating relationship by choking her with the intent to harm her at that same residence.
In a probable cause affidavit Lincoln County Deputy Sheriff Phillip Bennett states that Deputy Sheriff Christoper Hyde was dispatched for a domestic disturbance on July 11 around 11:23 a.m. but requested another unit respond and Bennett was assigned to answer the call.
When he arrived, Bennett said, he heard screaming and yelling and that he had to separate Robert Cohran and Courtney Eaton.
Cohran told Bennett he and Eaton had been doing drugs for four days. When Eaton was asked, she told the deputy Cohran was choking her and hitting her in the house in front of everyone.
Bennett further stated he noticed the red marks on Eaton’s neck and back.
Bennett said he requested backup and Wellston Officer Ashly Sanders arrived until Hyde could arrive to assist.
Once inside the house, they noticed it was not in proper living conditions.