By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
The shuttle from the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office to state prisons in Lorain and Marysville was put into service following a busy morning in Common Pleas Court. Four people who appeared before Judge Russell Wiseman were sentenced to prison and all pleaded guilty to violating terms of their community control.
Twenty-six-year-old William Dean was sentenced to eight months, but will be eligible for prison transitional programs. Dean and his attorney, Thomas Nicholson, had asked the judge if there wasn’t a way to avoid prison.
“I’ve been struggling bad,” Dean admitted. “I’ve been trying hard.”
Dean, whose violations included using Percocet and simply not reporting to scheduled meetings with his probation officer, could not tell Wiseman why he had not reported as scheduled. When Officer Ken Dyer pointed out that Dean had also failed to report for community control previously in Morrow County, Wiseman informed Dean that he was revoking his community control status.
Twenty-six-year-old Bucyrus resident Samantha Dyer was given consecutive sentences of 12 and eight months for a total of 20 months. Dyer was on community control in two separate cases from 2011 and 2012 for possession of drugs and illegal use of food stamps.
With credit for time served, Dyer has approximately six months of that combined sentence remaining.
Thirty-one-year-old Michael Hickman of Bucyrus was sentenced to nine months after he admitted to refusing a drug test, using heroin and failing to report. Hickman was on community control following his 2010 conviction for burglary.
Twenty-eight-year-old Jessica Short of Galion was sentenced to six months for violating community control and 12 months on a new charge of drug possession. Short was on community control for a 2-12 conviction for receiving stolen property. Short must serve those sentences consecutively but can apply for judicial release after serving six months.
Two people avoided prison time and one of them has staved off a felony conviction following their appearances in Common Pleas Court on Thursday.
Darick Hunter admitted to violating terms of his community control by using Percocet, Methadone, marijuana, opiates, heroin and failing to report to his supervising officer. Hunter was placed into the treatment program at CROSSWAEH.
Paulette Cameron’s motion to be placed on the intervention in lieu of conviction program was granted. Cameron pleaded guilty to two counts of felony drug possession and was placed on the intervention program for two years.
Ernest Black had an initial hearing for violating community control. Black is charged with using marijuana and causing physical harm to another person. Black is on community control for a 2012 conviction for breaking and entering. Black was released on a personal recognizance bond and Wiseman appointed Thomas O’Leary to represent him.
Jennifer Meeks of Mansfield was arraigned on a felony 3 charge of illegal conveyance. Meeks’ bond was set at $25,000 and attorney Brian Gernert was assigned as her legal counsel.
James Will failed to appear at an initial hearing alleging he violated community control and Wiseman issued a warrant for his arrest.