By Gary Ogle and Krystal Smalley
gogle@wbcowqel.com; ksmalley@wbcowqel.com

Judge Sean Leuthold maintained his consistency and sentencing Wednesday in Common on Pleas Court. Likewise, his warnings also carried a familiar ring.

Thirty-six-year-old Chade Kennedy of Bucyrus went before the judge in a change of plea hearing. Kennedy, who was represented by Rolf Whitney, pleaded guilty to the charge of second-degree felony burglary. The incident for which Kennedy was charged occurred at the home of a relative and no one was harmed.

Leuthold took note of that, but told Kennedy that “serious crimes require serious time.”

Leuthold accepted the prosecutor’s recommendation and sentenced Kennedy to four years in prison which is half the maximum allowable sentence.

Leuthold had one more warning for Kennedy before he was through. “When you get out of prison, if you come back here and choose to engage in criminal activities again – you will go right back.”

Two men will be doing short stints in the county jail after pleading guilty to domestic violence in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Wednesday afternoon.

Twenty-four-year-old Lovell Wareham of Bucyrus pleaded guilty to felony four domestic violence and was ordered to serve 180 days in jail after a pre-sentence investigation was completed. As part of his recommended sentence, Wareham would be on community control for five years and must enter into an anger management treatment course. If he fails while on community control he could face up to 18 months in prison.

Twenty-seven-year-old Andrew Callahan of Crestline pleaded guilty to an amended charge of first-degree misdemeanor domestic violence. He was ordered to serve 90 days in the county jail and pay a $750 fine.

Terry Thompson pleaded guilty to forgery which is a fifth-degree felony. Thompson was freed on a personal recognizance bond pending a pre-sentence investigation. The recommended sentence is three years of community control and restitution, the amount of which has yet to be determined.

Three men pleaded guilty to drug possession Wednesday afternoon though only one was released on a personal recognizance bond. Twenty-five-year-old Ryan St. Clair of Bucyrus, 23-year-old Brandon Keaton of Crestline, and 24-year-old Wesley Jackson of Oceola each pleaded guilty to felony five drug possession and received recommended sentences of five years on community control, six-month driver’s license suspension, and a $1,250 fine. St. Clair and Jackson must enter a drug and alcohol treatment program while Keaton will be a part of the court’s Intensive Supervision and Treatment program.

Though St. Clair and Keaton had their bonds continued while a pre-sentence investigation was conducted for their cases, Jackson asked that Judge Sean Leuthold release him on a personal recognizance bond.

Jackson’s attorney, Adam Stone, noted that his client, who was a first time offender, had two young children at home and a job waiting for him if he was released from jail.

Assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler said the state had no objection to the personal recognizance bond.

“Can I put a guy on community control if I can’t even trust him to be out for 10 days?” Leuthold wondered.

The judge ordered Jackson to be released on the personal recognizance bond while the pre-sentence investigation was conducted but left Jackson with a warning.

“Mr. Jackson, I feel like I’m setting you up for failure,” Leuthold said. “You come back in here, I don’t want to hear you whining and crying how unfair this is . . . I’ll have you tested three different ways if I have to.”

Brooke Corfman of Bucyrus pleaded guilty to theft but that fifth-degree felony will be held until she can successfully complete a two-year diversion program. As part of the program, the 23-year-old woman must pay $3,700 in restitution.

Twenty-four-year-old Kasie Frank of Galion returned to court for violating her probation. Frank pleaded guilty to two counts of drug possession and one count of forgery in 2014 and received community control. On Wednesday, however, her probation officer alleged that Frank tested positive for opiates and admitted to using heroin on Sept. 3.

Leuthold appointed Tom Nicholson as Frank’s attorney and set bond at $200,000.

Forty-year-old Katherine Villavicencio of Nevada was arraigned on a fifth-degree felony drug possession charge Wednesday afternoon. Leuthold entered a not guilty plea for Villavicencio, appointed Sebastian Berger as her attorney, and set bond at $75,000. Villavicencio could receive a maximum sentence of 12 months in prison and a $2,500 fine if found guilty.