Jason Dentsler pleads no contest; judge orders concurrent four-year terms and restitution

Judge Stephanie Boyd, presiding judge of the 187th District Court, accepted no-contest pleas from Jason Dentsler in cause numbers 2024CR1810 and 2024CR1811 and sentenced him to four years in prison on each count to run concurrently, the court record shows.

The court found the repeat-enhancement allegations in both indictments to be true, ordered restitution and no contact between Dentsler and the named complainants, and noted that Dentsler waived his right to a jury trial and to appeal the pleas except for pretrial motions that had been filed and ruled upon.

The court ordered restitution of $4,098 to George Salinas Jr. in cause 2024CR1810 and restitution of $6,300 to John Kelly Valadez in cause 2024CR1811, and awarded credit for any time Dentsler has already served. The judge instructed that both sentences run concurrently and that Dentsler may not own or possess firearms or ammunition as a result of the felony convictions.

The record shows Dentsler entered pleas of "no contest" to both cause numbers and pleaded "true" to the enhancement paragraphs. The state offered exhibits and attachments that the court accepted into evidence before making findings of guilt and enhancement truth.

Defense counsel confirmed the pleas and the defendant's understanding of court admonishments, including the rights he was giving up by entering the plea bargains. The court also confirmed with Dentsler that he was satisfied with his representation and that no promises or threats had been made to induce the plea.

During sentencing proceedings the judge discussed restitution line items that appear in the court file: the transcript records two MacBooks listed at $13.99 each in attachments submitted as part of the state's exhibits, an ATM withdrawal amount that was discussed as a possible contributor to the totals, and other amounts that the parties reconciled on the record. The court ultimately imposed the restitution figures listed above.

Judge Boyd admonished Dentsler directly at sentencing, saying, "You don't have to make decisions in your life. Do you wanna continue to steal? ... Is it worth 4 years of your life?" The judge also encouraged Dentsler to seek drug, alcohol or mental health treatment if needed and offered to help by making calls after his release if assistance is required.

The court also had Dentsler sign and acknowledge a written "trial court certification of defendant's rights to appeal," and the judge reiterated that because these dispositions were plea bargains and Dentsler waived appeal rights, he lacked the court's permission to appeal the convictions except on preserved, decided pretrial motions.

No additional motions were filed or ruled on the record in connection with these pleas and sentences, and the court closed the matter after confirming there were no further sentencing issues.

Ending: The sentencing and plea acceptance concluded the court's disposition of cause numbers 2024CR1810 and 2024CR1811; the record reflects the imposed prison terms, restitution amounts, no-contact orders, credit for time served and the waivers noted above.