Emily Wodiuk, 23, will serve three years in a state prison for habitually violating the terms of her probation, missing and failing several drug tests, breaking court-mandated curfew and other terms. She had a lengthy criminal record and was convicted on two felony fraud charges for writing thousands of dollars in bad checks for a wide range of items from snowmobiling to sushi.

Wodiuk, a valley resident, was given a suspended four-year prison sentence for that conviction. In February after she skipped a court date, she was apprehended and attempted to escape from Aspen police during her arrest. That incident landed her a misdemeanor obstruction charge.

“She appears to be a high risk to herself as well as the community,” Deputy District Attorney Gail Nichols argued at yesterday’s sentencing hearing. “At least when it comes to fraud.”

Nichols asked for two concurrent four-year sentences for Wodiuk. Public defender Garth McCarty countered that Wodiuk was mentally ill, irrational and needed treatment.

“There really is something diagnosable here that hasn’t been diagnosed,” McCarty said.

Wodiuk agreed.

“I know that I need mental health treatment on top of substance abuse treatment,” she said.

But Judge James Boyd told Wodiuk she was accountable for her recidivism.

“Your behavior is your own responsibility,” he explained. “Your probation is your own responsibility.”

Also in district court Monday:
— Peter Frommer indicated that he will be hiring a private counsel this week. Frommer is facing more than 30 felony charges for allegedly writing a series of bad checks and bilking business investors. The public defender’s office attempted to withdraw from Frommer’s case last year, when department director Tina Fang grew suspicious of Frommer’s finances. But his public defender, Garth McCarty, was reinstated after a district court judge reviewed Frommer’s records.

Frommer’s defense also indicated they would, for the second time, be seeking a special prosecutor to replace Deputy District Attorney Gail Nichols on the case, due to what McCarty called “retaliatory prosecution” and a conflict of interest with District Attorney Martin Beeson.

Frommer is due in court Thursday for a daylong hearing on evidence.
— Leslie Castle was given three years of probation for going on a fraudulent shopping spree through Aspen with her fiance. Deputy District Attorney Nichols estimated they spent $27,000 on stolen credit cards, buying goods ranging from designer earmuffs to top-shelf tequila. Castle, 24, of Oregon, will serve her probation through the district’s Female Offender Program.

“I know that it would never happen again,” Castle said at the hearing.

Her partner, Jeremy Nichols, is awaiting prosecution for his alleged role in the spree. Last month, Castle pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting Nichols.

— A man who deliberately drove into his neighbor’s Dodge Neon on Christmas Day of last year was sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation and eight hours of anger management classes. Christopher Weldon admitted to moving his neighbor’s car by driving into it, at the end of a long-standing parking dispute between them. He is also ordered to pay $1,500 to the victim.

andrew@aspendailynews.com