By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com

One man’s inability to behave himself while in the county jail has resulted in an opportunity to try to do better – in prison.

Lovell Wareham had only himself to blame for the change in status quo at his sentencing hearing Wednesday in Crawford County Common Pleas Court.

That was the message Judge Sean Leuthold left the 25-year-old Bucyrus man with as the judge sentenced him to 18 months in prison, the maximum sentence for the fourth-degree domestic violence felony.

Wareham pleaded guilty to the charge in September but was awaiting the results of a pre-sentence investigation. At the time, Wareham agreed to spend 180 days in the county jail and serve five years on community control for his felony, though he was eligible for prison. That agreement was thrown out the window Wednesday afternoon as Leuthold reviewed the numerous infractions Wareham committed while in jail.

Since September, Wareham fought with inmates, hoarded medications, interfered with security operations, lied to corrections officers, and failed to comply with, disrespected, and threatened the officers. The pre-sentence investigation also revealed that Wareham had a poor record that consisted of numerous misdemeanors and protection order violations, breaking and entering, possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and domestic violence.

“All these things clearly are now taken into consideration,” Leuthold noted. “Mr. Wareham himself is the one to change the status quo.”

Leuthold sentenced Wareham to 18 months in prison and fined him $750.

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Twenty-nine-year-old James Erwin of Bucyrus was sentenced to seven months in prison. Erwin pleaded guilty to drug possession, a fifth-degree felony.

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Due to a few minor issues, it has taken longer than usual for a pre-sentence investigation to be completed and a sentencing hearing to be set for 40-year-old Katherine Villavicencio of Nevada. Villavicencio pleaded guilty to drug possession one month ago but Judge Leuthold felt it was unfair to hold her in jail when she is not eligible for prison and she has been a model prisoner.

Leuthold released Villavicencio on a personal recognizance bond and ordered a sentencing hearing to be set.

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