By Krystal Smalley and Gary Ogle
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com; gogle@wbcowqel.com
A 45-year-old Galion man was sentenced to prison for the third time on Monday in Crawford County Common Pleas Court.
Forty-five-year-old Craig Lookabaugh pleaded guilty to drug possession and was sentenced to nine months in prison. He received a six-month driver’s license suspension, a $1,250 mandatory drug fine, and was ordered to forfeit drug-related property being held to the Galion Police Department.
In 1989 Lookabaugh was convicted of gross sexual imposition and received a two-year prison sentence. In 1992, Lookabaugh was charged with second-degree felony robbery and pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of third-degree attempted robbery. For that he was sentenced to a prison term of three to 10 years of which he served five.
A phrase seldom heard in a positive light made its way back into Judge Sean Leuthold’s Common Pleas courtroom Monday morning: treatment in lieu of conviction. The judge made special note in reminding 39-year-old Amanda Ronk of Crestline just how seldom.
“Very rare – maybe the second time since I’ve been on the bench,” Sean Leuthold said. “This is not an opportunity most people get. I expect you to take advantage of it.”
Ronk pleaded guilty to the fourth-degree felony of theft of drugs. The maximum penalty for that offense is 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. However, that plea will be held and the charges eventually dismissed without a conviction if Ronk successfully completes two years of treatment.
Twenty-five-year-old Ryan St. Clair of Bucyrus and 23-year-old Brandon Keaton of Crestline were each sentenced to five years on community control Monday. Both men had previously pleaded guilty to felony drug possession and were awaiting the results of their pre-sentence investigations.
Three people were arraigned in Crawford County Municipal Court Monday afternoon.
A $100,000 bond was set for David Dean, if only to save him from himself.
Dean was found unconscious in a minivan on Oct. 2. EMS personnel gave him Narcan to revive him and transported him to Bucyrus Community Hospital. In an interview with police, Dean allegedly admitted to using heroin.
“You’re a danger to yourself; you basically killed yourself,” Judge Shane Leuthold said. “I’m not going to have it under my watch.”
Shane Leuthold appointed Brad Starkey as Dean’s attorney and set bond at $100,000.
Eric Kimmel also received a $100,000 bond for possessing heroin. Kimmel was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over for a routine traffic stop on Oct. 2. After a K9 unit was called in, the K9 alerted on the vehicle and after a search officers found a straw and brown residue in Kimmel’s wallet. Kimmel allegedly admitted to using one to two grams of heroin a day, though he denied ever saying that in Municipal Court on Monday.
“If you’re using one to two grams a day,” Shane Leuthold said, “it’s enough that I doubt you have the discretionary income to buy that.”
Shane Leuthold appointed Andrew Motter as Kimmel’s attorney and set bond at $100,000.
When Kimmel hinted to the judge that he still had a job and an apartment to return to, Shane Leuthold had very little sympathy.
“You also have a heroin habit that you need to get back to, too,” Shane Leuthold retorted. “Your life is more important than your heroin habit.”
Timothy Cooley was arraigned on an OVI charge, a fourth-degree felony, and a misdemeanor for driving under the influence. Cooley allegedly operated a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol on Oct. 2.
Assistant county prosecutor Rob Kidd said police responded to an address on East Irving Street on allegations of domestic disturbance. Officers noticed Cooley, who they had been advised was drinking heavily, driving a vehicle. After going through sobriety field tests and a breathalyzer test, Cooley was found to have a blood alcohol count of .152.
Kidd said Cooley also has numerous OVI convictions dating back to 1998 and 47 license suspensions.
Judge Shane Leuthold said Cooley was an immediate danger to the community.
“You have not learned your lesson in the prior five times in court,” Shane Leuthold admonished.
He appointed Brian Gernert as Cooley’s attorney and set bond at $25,000.
Twenty-three-year-old Megan Fox of Galion was back in court Monday. Once in the treatment in lieu program beginning in 2013, Fox was revoked from that program and convicted of theft in 2014. Monday’s court appearance was an initial hearing alleging community control violations.
Fox is accused of using heroin, being in possession of drug paraphernalia and not completing a drug and alcohol treatment program as required.