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

Of the five people sentenced to prison Thursday, the one who received the longest sentence was also the person Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold accused of being “ridiculously immature.”

Thirty-year-old Micah Hancock, of Bucyrus, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor, all fourth-degree felonies. He received one year of prison on each count for a total of 10 years in prison. Hancock must also register as a Tier II sex offender for the next 25 years and will be subject to a mandatory five years on post-release control.

“Very little can be said in a case like this,” noted defense attorney Thomas Nicholson. “Mr. Hancock has decided to take responsibility.”

Hancock echoed his attorney’s statements. “I’m sorry for what I did and I’m ready to take responsibility for my actions,” he said.

Leuthold, never one to have the wool pulled over his eyes, commented that Hancock’s words would have been exactly what he would have told his client to say when he was a defense attorney. The judge noted that many discussions were had over Hancock’s case and he agreed with Nicholson’s argument.

“He’s ridiculously immature,” Leuthold said of Hancock while tempering that with the fact Hancock was sane and competent. He believed, however, that Hancock suffered from severe arrested development.

Before Leuthold finished with Hancock, the judge took the time to give him a warning that is usually reserved for drug dealers.

“We will not tolerate people who victimize children of this county,” Leuthold said, making note of the number of cases brought before him recently that dealt with children being sexually abused or adults pandering child pornography. “This county is no more tolerant of that than it is of drugs.”

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Twenty-two-year-old Chase Grogan was sentenced to a total of 48 months in prison on Thursday in Crawford County Common Pleas Court. Grogan pleaded guilty to violating the terms of his community control as a result of being in possession of drug paraphernalia and being under the influence of synthetic marijuana.

Additional charges against Grogan for felony 5 drug possession and misdemeanor 4 drug paraphernalia were dropped in exchange for his admission.

Grogan was sentenced to consecutive 12-month sentences on four felony counts from his original case – one for felony theft and the other three for felony forgery.

Judge Sean Leuthold told the defendant from the bench, “Mr. Grogan, behave yourself in prison and perhaps we’ll look at this sentencing down this road.”

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A 36-month prison sentence was re-imposed on Carl Wiggins after he admitted to violating his community control. The 33-year-old Bucyrus man had been charged with intimidation of a witness – in this case, Bucyrus Police Officer Sam Caldwell – but the new charges were dismissed with the victim’s agreement in favor of the probation violation admittance.

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Twenty-three-year-old Jaya Horton, of Crestline, pleaded no contest to failure to comply with an order of a police officer, a third-degree felony. He received 30 months in prison and must pay $2,500 in restitution to the Village of Crestline. His driver’s license will be suspended for three years. A misdemeanor OVI charge from the Crestline Mayor’s Court was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler said Crestline Police Officer Aaron Gibson saw Horton driving without headlights on the night of Aug. 24. When Gibson attempted to stop Horton, the defendant drove away at a high rate of speed, though for only a very short length before driving off the road and hitting a light pole. Horton was found to be under the influence and was arrested on a DUI.

Thirty-nine-year-old Jason Marietta, of Tiro, pleaded guilty to drug possession and sentenced to eight months in prison. He must also pay a $1,250 fine.