By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Tuesday’s exhibition of clemency quickly disappeared as six prison sentences were handed down Wednesday in Crawford County Common Pleas Court.
When Judge Sean Leuthold and your parole officer ordered you not to do something, it is best if you do not do it. Thirty-two-year-old Dereck Hensley found the hard truth of the matter when he had his 36-month prison sentence re-imposed.
Hensley pleaded guilty to felony domestic violence in March and sentenced to 36 months in prison. He received judicial release in November but two weeks later he returned to Common Pleas Court for having contact with the victim in the case despite a no contact order being handed down.
“I practically yelled at Mr. Hensley to have no contact,” Leuthold stated. “I wasn’t trying to stick it to you.”
Leuthold added that he was considering keeping Hensley in jail for only 30 or 45 days if the victim in the case still wanted to see him. During that two week period while Leuthold considered that option however, Hensley called the victim from the jail 60 times while the no contact order was still in effect.
“I told you not to do it, you went out and did it. I put you in jail . . . you called her 60 times. That’s 60 community control violations,” Leuthold said. “This is senseless. This is nobody’s fault, Mr. Hensley, than your own.”
Leuthold re-imposed the 36-month prison sentence with credit for time served.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said with a sense of disbelief. “Where somebody went out and put themselves back in prison for no reason.”
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Rex Beecham may have been sentenced to prison for 36 months but that may not necessarily be the total time he serves.
The 51-year-old Bucyrus man pleaded guilty for failure to comply, a third-degree felony. Beecham wrecked his motorcycle after failing to stop for police and subsequently ran from authorities.
Leuthold sentenced Beecham to 36 months in prison, though a recommendation for early release is expected to be submitted to the judge at a later date. A charge of drug possession was dismissed as part of his plea agreement.
“I don’t think you’re a bad guy but your drinking, doing drugs, and putting people in this county lives at risk,” Leuthold said.
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A new felony plus probation violations landed 26-year-old Caleb Moyer multiple prison sentences.
Moyer admitted to refusing to provide a urine sample, changing his address without informing his parole officer, failing to report to office visits, and failing to comply with his substance abuse counseling. Moyer, who was on the court’s intervention program on two cases, was sentenced to nine months each on both cases, fined $1,250, and had his driver’s license suspended for six months.
Moyer also pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. He received a nine-month prison sentence on the new charge.
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The latest probation violation allegations brought against Joshua Miller finally had Leuthold throwing in the towel Wednesday morning.
The 24-year-old Bucyrus man admitted to failing to report to drug testing, missing call-ins for his court-ordered substance abuse counseling, and testing positive for opiates and marijuana.
“I can personally say that I have attempted to help Mr. Miller for several years,” Leuthold said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his face with an air of resignation. “I’m not angry. Just very, very sad.”
Though he was part of the court’s Intensive Supervision and Treatment (ISAT) program, Miller was not one of the success cases despite requesting the program himself. He appeared in court just five months after being placed on community control. When he appeared before Leuthold in November, the judge returned him to the ISAT program but predicted Miller would fail yet again.
“For whatever reason, it just didn’t work with Josh,” Leuthold said, adding that Miller had a couple of instance of overdoses. “Either you’re going to quit using or you’re going to die,” he told Miller frankly.
Leuthold sentenced Miller to 11 months in prison for the probation violations and left him with a few parting words.
“I’ve done everything I could possibly do to save your life,” Leuthold said. “This is really one of the saddest days I’ve had on the bench.”
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A personal recognizance bond was not enough to keep 39-year-old Stacy Hicks out of trouble. Hicks admitted to violating her community control last month and received a 30-day county jail sentence. Though she was to report to the Crawford County Justice Center on Jan. 8, she ran into trouble once again in Huron County.
Allegations were brought against Hicks Wednesday morning that she was arrested by the Willard Police Department for assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. Her parole officer also alleged that Hicks violated a direct order from Common Pleas Court for drinking. Hicks admitted to being arrested for resisting arrest and drinking. The assault charge had been dismissed by authorities in Huron County.
“I tried to give you a little bit of a break. I told you not to drink,” reprimanded Leuthold. “This has to be a wakeup call that you have to quit drinking.”
Leuthold sentenced Hicks to nine months in prison for the probation violations.
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The final individual involved in October’s counterfeiting bust pleaded guilty to forgery. Keair Key, 25, of Detroit, Mich. was sentenced to six months in prison with credit for time served.
Of Key’s three other co-defendants, only Damon Blocker received the same sentence. Destiny Thomas and Danielle Gaston were placed on community control after serving the first 60 days in the county jail.
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Four felonies were not quite enough to send Adam Rigdon to prison but Leuthold refused to let the 28-year-old Bucyrus man go easily.
Despite pleading guilty to two counts of counterfeiting controlled substances and trafficking in drugs – fifth-degree felonies – and a fourth-degree possession of drugs charge, these were Rigdon’s first felony offenses and did not make him prison eligible.
“It disgusts me that I have to give someone out there trafficking in drugs community control,” Leuthold said.
As required by Ohio law, Leuthold placed Rigdon on community control for five years with one major caveat: Rigdon would have to serve nine months in the county jail.
“At least we’ll keep you out of circulation for a while,” Leuthold commented.
Rigdon must also pay a $5,000 fine. If he fails while on community control, Rigdon could face up to 48 months in prison.
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Nineteen-year-old Alyssa Hayman received five years on community control after pleading guilty to permitting drug abuse earlier this month. As part of her probation, Hayman will be placed in the court’s ISAT program. Her driver’s license was suspended for six months and she must pay a $1,250 fine.
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Thirty-seven-year-old Thomas Wells of New Haven was arraigned on a fifth-degree possession of heroin charge. Leuthold set bond at $100,000 and appointed Andrew Motter as Wells’ attorney.