By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
A second jury trial is officially off the books for Torin Jones. The 44-year-old Bucyrus man pleaded guilty in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Monday afternoon and avoided a second trial in less than a year.
Jones, who had an outburst in court last week after Judge Sean Leuthold denied a motion for a District V evaluation, pleaded guilty to five counts of drug possession that spanned from fifth-degree to third-degree felonies. His two-day trial had been set to begin this Thursday.
Leuthold noted that a great deal of negotiation had been going on since the motion hearing last week, including arguments for admissibility of evidence. Due to Jones’ prior felonies, Leuthold felt a prison sentence was appropriate in Jones’ case.
Jones was a passenger in a vehicle operated by Brooklyn Gilliland on Oct. 12. Gilliland, who was wanted on a Crawford County warrant for felony drug trafficking, was taken into custody following the traffic stop. Jones was arrested when a search of the vehicle turned up suspected heroin, cash, and prescription medications.
Jones’ guilty plea netted him a total of 59 months in prison on the five counts. He was also fined $5,000, was ordered to forfeit $800 and drug paraphernalia seized by police, and had his driver’s license suspended for five years.
A charge of intimidation and a newer charge of drug possession, which stemmed from the original incident, were dismissed in exchange for Jones’ guilty plea.
Jones will also serve 60 days in the county jail for being in contempt of court on Feb. 1.
Jones was found not guilty to drug possession last September when the prosecution failed to show beyond a reasonable doubt that the 9.825 grams of crack cocaine laying near Jones was his.
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Forty-three-year-old Kevin Parker of Anna, Ohio, will serve a 60-day Municipal Court jail 
sentence before he will answer for his Common Pleas Court violations.
Parker admitted to violating the terms of his community control in Common Pleas Court Monday. The violations included operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and endangering a minor while operating the vehicle.
Parker had already been sentenced to 60 days in the county jail for a misdemeanor charge. Leuthold told him that once he finishes that sentence he will be required to enter into a Volunteers of America program. The judge continued Parker’s community control.
“I usually don’t give anyone a second chance,” Leuthold warned Parker. “One more slip up and you will go to prison very quickly.”
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Fifty-eight-year-old Michael Brown of Bucyrus pleaded guilty to drug possession, a fifth-degree felony.
Brown’s attorney, Thomas Nicholson, asked for a pre-sentence investigation to be completed before the court sentenced his client. Nicholson argued that Brown had been taking pills to kill pain that came as a result of his job. Brown had been mixing Percocet and alcohol when he was pulled over for an OVI.
“Overall, Mike Brown is as harmless as a fly,” Nicholson said.
Leuthold released Brown on a personal recognizance bond, but left the man with that warning that he reserved the right to give Brown the maximum prison sentence if he got in trouble while out on bond.
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