A man who tried to elude authorities by hiding behind a kitchen lazy susan was arraigned on his probation violation Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.

Brandon Stewart, 23, of Chesapeake, denied he had violated his probation.

Judge D. Scott Bowling scheduled a trial on the allegation for next Wednesday.

Stewart was listed by the Lawrence County Adult Probation Agency as one of its most wanted probation violators earlier this month after he failed to report to his probation officer.

Days later, authorities found him hiding in a kitchen cabinet behind a lazy susan.

A copy of The Tribune with its Most Wanted probation violators story was lying on the kitchen table a few feet away from where Stewart was hiding.

Stewart was on probation for an earlier conviction on burglary and theft of drugs charges.

Also Wednesday, a man accused of snatching purses from two employees at Skeeto’s pizza admitting his guilt as well.

Empry S. “Scotty” Burke, 29, of 102 Scott Ave., Ironton, pleaded guilty to two counts of the resisting arrest and one count of tampering with evidence. Judge Charles Cooper sentenced Burke to a total of four years in prison.

Burke went to the Hecla restaurant in August and asked to use a telephone. After getting permission to use a phone in the store stockroom, he grabbed two employees’ purses and fled.

He was apprehended by a game warden who was eating at the restaurant at the time of the incident and by a sheriff’s deputy who was driving in the area and also gave chase.

Two men accused of drunken driving entered guilty pleas Wednesday.

Jeffrey S. Spencer, 31, of 248 Township Road 1163, pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated, driving without insurance and failure to comply with the order and signal of a police officer.

A convicted felon, Spencer also violated his probation when he was arrested on these new charges.

“Yeah, I’m guilty,” Spencer said when Bowling asked if he planned to admit also to violating his probation.

Bowling sentenced him to a total of two years in prison, suspended his driver’s license for a year and fined him $500.

Spencer was on probation for an earlier conviction on assault, breaking and entering and obstruction of justice charges.

Ronald L. Chatterton, 53, of 209 Township Road 99, South Point, pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated. Bowling sentenced him to six months in prison, fined him $2,500 and suspended his driving privileges for five years.