One pleads guilty, one not guilty in Stoddard County swastika case

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Two Stoddard County men arrested following a vandalism investigation have entered separate pleas in circuit court.

Jeremy Schmidt, 17, of Dexter, Mo., pleaded guilty Wednesday to the vehicle tampering charge before Judge Stephen Sharp. He received five years' supervised probation.

Matthew Diresto, 20, of Malden, Mo., pleaded not guilty and will be back in court Feb. 17.

Schmidt and Diresto were charged with felony property damage and tampering with a motor vehicle.

Authorities allege Schmidt and a friend were out riding around in Dexter when they began talking about spray painting cars. On Jan. 4, Schmidt and Diresto drove to Riddle and Son Lumber and allegedly painted a swastika on the building. The two then drove to the First Church of the Nazarene in Dexter where Diresto allegedly spray-painted a swastika on a church van.