By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
There is a reason Judge Sean Leuthold always warns defendants before letting them go on personal recognizance bonds and Tyler Wireman was proof of that Wednesday afternoon.
Twenty-year-old Wireman, of Galion, pleaded guilty to drug possession in July and was released on a personal recognizance bond while he awaited his sentencing hearing. That extra time and a savvy probation department led Wireman to being arrested on Aug. 24.
According to county probation officer Eric Bohach, he received information that Wireman had been using drugs and showed up to Wireman’s home with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and the Galion Police Department. Wireman admitted to using marijuana and when Bohach asked him to take a urine test, Wireman said he wouldn’t be able to go. The defendant was taken into custody and transported to the county jail where he again said he would not be able to do the urine test. He also refused to sign a refusal form.
Assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler argued that the Galion Police Department was originally investigating Wireman for selling synthetic marijuana. When they received confirmation through surveillance of Wireman’s acts, police attempted to approach him, but he fled on a bicycle and crashed into another vehicle. Hoovler added that those actions, along with Wireman’s resisting arrest on more than one occasion, was enough for him to ask for an 11-month prison sentence.
Defense attorney Tani Eyer, however, argued that Wireman had no prior felony convictions and, though what he did was illegal, it was not serious enough for a prison sentence.
“I made a mistake,” Wireman admitted, but added that he did not think prison would help him. “I realize I messed up and I deserve to go to prison, but I don’t think it will help me.”
“I don’t want to hear anymore what I need to do to help you,” argued Leuthold. “You need to help yourself.”
Leuthold did, however, agree to give Wireman a break. The judge sentenced him to 11 months in prison, but noted that if a motion for judicial release was made after 45 days, he would grant it so long as Wireman behaved himself in prison.
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Mariah Horner will have to spend six months in the county jail before she starts her community control time.
Horner, who pleaded guilty to drug possession and trafficking in July, was sentenced to five years on community control with 180 days in the county jail, placement into a drug and alcohol treatment program, a six-month driver’s license suspension, and a total of $3,750 in combined mandatory drug fines.
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Willis Clary appeared in court for a community control violation hearing. The 26-year-old man, who was on probation for tampering with evidence, allegedly trespassed on a structure, possessed instruments with the purpose of criminal intent, attempted to steal wiring from a vacant East Charles Street home in Bucyrus, and tested positive for cocaine.
Leuthold continued the $50,000 bond set in Municipal Court and appointed Adam Stone as Clary’s attorney. The prosecution indicated that Clary was also arraigned on a new felony charge while in the lower court.
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Brenda Lenhart, of Galion, was placed on the court’s two-year diversion program after entering a guilty plea to theft, a fifth-degree felony. Leuthold will hold that guilty plea until Lenhart successfully completes the program, which included paying $4,232 in restitution to AmVets.
Two women were arraigned Wednesday afternoon.
Amy Heefner is facing two felony 1 charges of aggravated robbery, the incidents which allegedly occurred on Aug. 24 and 25. The charges each carry a maximum sentence for 11 years in prison. Though Leuthold admitted he would normally set a $1 million bond in such cases, Heefner’s current situation did not make a high bond necessary. Heefner is currently serving a three-year prison sentence for another county, which led Leuthold to set a personal recognizance bond in her case. He also appointed Sebastian Berger as her attorney.
Jennifer Ocheltree, of Galion, was arraigned on a felony 5 charge of drug possession. She allegedly had cocaine in her possession on May 4. Leuthold appointed Eyer as her attorney.