T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Belmont County Common Pleas Court Judge John Vavra issues an arrest warrant for Jame Kempf who didn’t appear at his sentencing hearing for his 2024 drug arrest.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — What was supposed to be a sentencing hearing Monday for a man convicted of drug crimes in Belmont County Common Pleas Court could not come to pass — as the man to be sentenced skipped the hearing.

A warrant was issued Monday afternoon for 55-year-old James Kempf. He was supposed to be sentenced on a charge of first-degree felony possession of and trafficking in cocaine and fentanyl. When that hearing was supposed to begin before Belmont Common Pleas Court Judge John Vavra, Kempf’s attorney Don Tennant was there.

Kempf, however, was not.

“I’m very disappointed he’s not here,” Tennant said. “Based upon circumstances in the case, the court granted him pre-sentence bail on his own recognizance,” Tennant said.

Kempf was arrested in May 2024 in Bellaire after he, Christopher Franklin and Monique Green were arrested allegedly in possession of more than 300 grams of methamphetamine, more than an ounce of crack cocaine and more than one ounce of powder and pressed fentanyl. All three were charged with first-degree felony possession of and trafficking in cocaine and fentanyl.

Tennant said that, when Kempf was jailed, the two spoke frequently. That changed, Tennant said, when Kempf was allowed pre-sentence bail.

“From the day he got out of jail until today, no one called me,” Tennant said. “I finally received a phone number from apparently his former girlfriend, and she gave me his location in Martins Ferry at 11:30 a.m. I called that location, and actually did speak to him.

“I called that location at around 9:30 a.m. and he was sleeping so I called back at 11:45 a.m. and he got on the phone,” Tennant continued.

He said he explained to Kempf that his sentencing was at 1 p.m. Monday. Tennant said Kempf told him he didn’t have a ride to the Belmont County Courthouse, and Tennant said that he offered him a ride to the courthouse. He drove to Kempf’s house at noon Monday.

“I went over to Martins Ferry to that location, spoke with his former girlfriend’s daughter, who owns the house, and she said he just left,” Tennant said.

Tennant then drove around Martins Ferry, Bridgeport, and Wheeling Island in hopes of locating him to bring him to court. He said he searched for Kempf until he had to head to the courthouse for the sentencing.

Vavra said that the state had reduced the charges against Kempf prior to Monday’s events. According to documents, Kempf had originally been charged with seven felony counts in connection with that May 2024 arrest.

“Charges have been reduced quite a bit by the state, but we’ll see where we go from here moving forward,” Vavra said.

He then revoked Kempf’s bond and issued a warrant for his arrest.