Two Pedro men facing multiple charges relating to theft of copper phone wire were arraigned Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.

Brian K. Bloomfield, 34, of 3900 Township Road 160, and Randy L. DePriest Jr., 30, of 272 Private Road 2173 County Road 41S, were arraigned on 16 counts each of disrupting public services, a fourth-degree felony.

Bloomfield was also arraigned on 14 counts of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony; DePriest was arraigned on 15 counts of tampering with evidence.

Both men pleaded not guilty to all charges.

“The state is taking these charges very seriously,” said Mike Gleichauf, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, recommending bond of $75,000 for each defendant.

Judge Charles Cooper agreed to the bond of $75,000 cash or surety and set pretrials for each defendant on April 17.

In an unrelated case, a man who was given multiple opportunities to pay his restitutions costs was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday.

Nick Newman, 45, of 4523 County Road 15, South Point, was arraigned on a community control sanctions violation Feb. 27. The violation alleged Newman had not been paying restitution that was ordered from theft cases in 2007 and 2008 resulting in more than $10,000 owed. According to the prosecutor’s office, Newman still owed more than $7,500.

At his arraignment, Newman asked for more time, telling Cooper he intended to use his paycheck and tax return money to pay his costs when he got the money.

Cooper gave the man until March 6 to pay what was owed.

On March 6, Newman still hadn’t made any payments and told the court he was having trouble getting his paychecks and tax return check. Cooper continued the matter to March 20.

On March 20, the man still hadn’t made payments, claiming his tax preparer confused his return with someone’s return with the same name.

At the time Gleichauf said Newman should be sentenced to prison for failure to pay. Cooper continued the matter until Wednesday.

Still having not paid the amount owed, Gleichauf again recommended Newman be sentenced to prison since the man could not pay his debt to the victims.

“We believe he has had too many chances to make the victims whole,” Gleichauf said.

Mike Davenport, attorney for Newman, asked for another continuance.

“I’ve bought into this three weeks in a row,” Cooper said.

Cooper sentenced the man to three years in prison.

In other cases:

• Joseph A. Workman II, 38, of 3873 Goose Creek Road, Barboursville, W.Va., was arraigned on a count of first-degree aggravated burglary, to which he pleaded not guilty.

Cooper set bond at $75,000 cash or surety and set a pretrial for April 17.

• Gregory S. Knipp, 45, of 88 Private Drive 87 Township Road 510N, South Point, was arraigned on four counts of gross sexual imposition involving two juveniles, to which he pleaded not guilty.

Cooper set bond at $100,000 cash or surety and set a pretrial for April 17.

• Ralph Littlejohn Jr., 29, of 902 Gary Malone St. Lot 16, South Point, was arraigned on six fifth-degree counts of breaking and entering, to which he pleaded not guilty.

Cooper set bond at $15,000 cash or surety and a pretrial for April 10.

• Teresa Stormes, 42, of 915 1/2 Park Ave., Ironton, was arraigned on two counts of fifth-degree deception to obtain a dangerous drug (Xanax), to which she pleaded not guilty.

Cooper set bond at $10,000 cash or surety and set a pretrial for April 17.

• Zack Abrams, 23, of 915 1/2 Park Ave., Ironton, was arraigned on two counts of deception to obtain a dangerous drug (Xanax) and a third-degree count of tampering with evidence, to which he pleaded not guilty.

Cooper set bond at $10,000 cash or surety and set a pretrial for April 17.

• Joseph Organ Smith, 40, of 139 Elizabeth St., Proctorville, was arraigned on a second-degree count of trafficking in drugs (heroin) and a fifth-degree count of possession of drugs, to which he pleaded not guilty.

Cooper set a $50,000 cash or surety bond and scheduled a pretrial for April 10.