Four defendants charged in association with the burglary of a Homer dentist’s home and office earlier this month face news charges following their arraignment at the Homer Courthouse on Nov. 17. Charged with first-degree unlawful contact, a misdemeanor, are Erik F. Donhauser-Sagmoen, 20, Anchor Point, Steven D. House, 25, Tyler B. Cottrell, 23, and Pearl Y. Cady, 19. Cottrell also was charged with fifth-degree criminal mischief for damaging a heating pipe at the Homer Jail. Homer Police also said that Cottrell had written “F— you” with wet toilet paper in his jail cell.

Donhauser-Sagmoen had previously been charged with first-degree burglary and second-degree theft, three counts, House with second-degree theft by receiving, and Cottrell and Cady with second-degree theft by receiving and tampering with physical evidence.

The unlawful contact charges came about after the defendants had been arraigned last Monday. After the four came back from court, Homer Police Sgt. Ryan Browning said a jail officer told him the court had ordered them not to have any contact with each other as they are all co-defendants in the theft and burglary case. In a criminal complaint, Browning said he saw Donhauser-Sagmoen, Cottrell and Cady talking to each other in a booking room. Browning said he warned them to stop talking to each other, but could hear them continue to whisper to each other. Browning said after the two men were taken to jail cells, Cady told him he needed to understand that she and Cottrell were in a relationship and loved each other.

Browning said another jail officer also said that when all four defendants, including House, were being driven up to Ninilchik to meet a jail transport van from Wildwood Pretrial Facility in Kenai, they also discussed their criminal affidavits.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.