By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com

Tyler Donathan’s chance to avoid prison flew by the wayside when he violated his personal recognizance bond.

Monday morning, just days before his 21st birthday, Donathan admitted to violating his personal recognizance bond by avoiding his supervising officer since May 31, when he was ordered to return in two days to retake a drug test after one appeared too diluted. County probation officer Eric Bohach said Donathan was supposed to be tested weekly, but Bohach was not able to make contact with him since May 31. He added that the Galion Police Department located Donathan Friday night and the Crestline man tested positive for marijuana Monday morning.

Donathan, who pleaded guilty in May to corrupting another with drugs, was ordered by Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold to serve an agreed-upon 15-month prison sentence.

Donathan had not been eligible for prison until he violated his bond. According to Sebastian Berger, Donathan’s attorney, his client was afraid of testing positive after he smoked marijuana and chose not to report to his supervising officer.

“I understand what I did was wrong. I’m not really a bad person,” Donathan said. “I haven’t been in trouble in a real long time, it’s just my past catching up to me.”

Leuthold understood, but gave him one warning: “When you get out, toe the line.”

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Good behavior not only saw Gary Murphy get out of prison early, it might also lead to him shortening his time on community control.

Leuthold granted Murphy’s judicial release motion and ordered him to five years on community control.

“You ready to get out of prison?” Leuthold asked.

“Yes, Your Honor,” Murphy responded.

“Are you ever going to be in front of me again?” the judge questioned.

“Never,” Murphy said in an assertive manner.

Murphy still needs to pay $14,598.95 in restitution, but Leuthold said if he gets that done early he will terminate Murphy from his community control.

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Thirty-three-year-old Ashley McNeely, of Galion, was brought in on community control violation charges. McNeely, who pleaded guilty to drug possession in 2015, was caught for speeding and driving under a license suspension in Morrow County on Aug. 4. Leuthold appointed Geoffrey Stoll as her attorney and set bond at $50,000.

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Three people were arraigned on various charges Monday morning.

Twenty-nine-year-old Corey Pickens, of Galion, was arraigned on charges of domestic violence and endangering children, a third-degree and a fourth-degree felony, respectively. The two charges combined carry a maximum penalty of 54 months in prison if convicted. Leuthold appointed Berger as his attorney and set bond at $75,000 with orders to have no contact with the victim or his family.

Thirty-four-year-old Shawna Holman, of Bucyrus, was arraigned on a felony 5 drug trafficking charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 months in prison. Leuthold appointed Joel Spitzer as her attorney and set bond at $75,000.

Forty-eight-year-old Steven Kennedy, of Bucyrus, was arraigned on a fifth-degree felony of possessing drugs. In this case, the drugs in question were allegedly morphine sulfate. Leuthold appointed Carlos Crawford as his attorney and set bond at $50,000.