A Concover, N.C., man was admonished Wednesday to hire an attorney to represent him in time for his Aug. 4 trial.

Robert Adkins, 24, was arrested Jan. 3 and faces two counts of second-degree felony burglary. One of those counts also has a gun charge. Last week he fired his court-appointed attorney Derek Fisher. Adkins did not say why he had done this so close to the start of his trial.

Adkins told Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge Frank McCown his parents were trying to help him find an attorney. McCown exhorted him to do so as soon as possible.

"These are serious charges," McCown said. "You're looking at eight years on each of these and three years mandatory on the gun specification. I'm concerned about your rights being protected."

Also Wednesday, Terry Seward, 38, of 1006 S. Ninth St., Ironton, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony receiving stolen property. Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge Richard Walton ordered Seward to serve four years community controlled sanctions under intensive supervised probation, which includes successful completion of the STAR Community Justice program.

If Seward violates the terms of his sanctions, he could be sentenced to prison for 11 months.

Dean Matthew Gully, 38, of 102 Grant Court, South Point, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of fifth-degree felony criminal non-support.

Assistant Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson said Gully is in arrears more than $23,000. Gully has one child. The arrearage was accumulated between may 1991 and March of this year.

McCown ordered Gully to serve six months in prison and four years community controlled sanctions under intensive supervised probation. The judge also admonished Gully to take his parental responsibilities more seriously.

"You bring children into this world, you have an obligation to take care of them," McCown said.

"I just want this child taken care of."

Another man was also sentenced to six months in prison Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal non-support.

John D. Taylor, 42, who was listed in court records as living in both Galloway and Columbus, owes more than $25,000 in back child support, Anderson said. Taylor has two children. The arrearage was accumulated between May 1993 and March of this year.

In exchange for his guilty plea, two counts against him were nullied.

"I apologize for not holding up my end of what I was supposed to do. I'm hoping in the future not to make that mistake again," Taylor told the court.

McCown ordered Taylor to pay the arrearage and keep current with his child support payments.

"I want you to get out (of prison) and take care of those kids," McCown said. "Wouldn't it be nice if one of these days these kids could recognize you as their dad?"