LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
Danielle Sass, 39, appeared in Edgar County Court Monday, March 31, where she pled guilty to a single Class 4 felony charge related to driving with a revoked license as part of a negotiated plea agreement. The arrangement includes a probation period, fines and mandatory jail time.
The charge stems from an incident in 2024 when Sass was found driving a 1999 Ford pickup truck on a public roadway in Edgar County while her license was revoked due to a prior DUI conviction. According to court records, this is her second violation of this statute, with a prior case recorded in Park County in 2012.
Under the terms of Monday’s plea agreement, Sass was sentenced to 24 months of probation. Conditions of her probation include prohibitions on alcohol consumption, bar visits and drug use, as well as mandatory drug testing and compliance with searches and seizures by law enforcement. Additionally, she will be required to serve a minimum of 30 days in the Edgar County Jail, though electronic home monitoring has been granted as part of the sentence.
Sass has been ordered to pay a series of fines and fees, including a $75 fine, a $100 lab analysis fee, $500 restitution to the victim identified in the case, a $100 public defender assessment and a $600 probation fee, bringing her total financial obligations to $1,894.
The court also mandated Sass to complete a substance abuse counseling and assessment program. The State Attorney’s office noted that some treatment has already been completed and will be counted toward this requirement.
The judge informed Sass of her right to appeal both the guilty plea and sentencing but advised that any appeal must first be preceded by a written motion to withdraw the plea within 30 days. Should she pursue an appeal, dismissed charges from the case—counts one, two, four and five—could be reinstated by the State’s Attorney.
At her first court appearance in the matter, on Aug. 16, 2024, three charges were filed against Sass for her alleged actions. The charges included motor vehicle theft (Class 2 Felony), criminal damage to property (Class 4 Felony) and driving with a suspended/revoked license (Class 4 Felony). Authorities launched an investigation after residents near Preston Street, Symmes Township, reported extensive road and field damage on Aug. 15. They traced the destruction to a stolen white Ford F-350 Super Duty, which was driven recklessly before crashing off the road. The suspect, later identified as Sass, fled the scene and allegedly stole another vehicle from a nearby property.
Sass will be allowed to delay the start of her jail sentence until April 7, 2025, in order to facilitate the transfer of her probation to Indiana, where she plans to reside. However, the court acknowledged that there is no guarantee that Indiana will accept the transfer. If the transfer is denied, Sass is still expected to turn herself in to serve her sentence as scheduled.