By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Two men involved in the Monnett Street drug bust took two very different paths in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Tuesday morning.
Twenty-nine-year-old Dustin Nolen, of Bucyrus, pleaded guilty on two counts of drug trafficking and one count of drug possession. He received the maximum prison sentence of 36 months in prison on the felony 3 drug trafficking charge. Nolen will serve 12 months in prison on the fourth-degree trafficking felony and 11 months for the fifth-degree possession felony. The three sentences will be served consecutively for a total of 59 months in prison.
In addition to the prison time, Nolen was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and had his driver’s license suspended for six months.
“Your life has been one screw up after another,” Judge Sean Leuthold told Nolen. “You’ve ignored all the responsibilities as a good father and citizen.”
Though Nolen is facing nearly five years in prison, there is a possibility that the prosecutor’s office would recommend early release if Nolen gave witness testimony at Cordale Davis’ trial.
Nolen and Davis, along with James Shope, Jr., were arrested on March 9 after the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 1301 Monnett Street in Bucyrus. Police seized heroin, cocaine, syringes, and cash while Nolen and Shope were initially charged with possessing heroin. Davis, who lives in Cleveland, was arrested for allegedly trafficking in cocaine and heroin.
Davis stated at his initial Municipal Court hearing in March that he was at the Monnett Street residence to pick Nolen up in order to complete drywall work in Cleveland. He maintained his innocence Tuesday, going so far as to reject a generous plea deal from the prosecutor’s office.
Davis, who was charged with two counts of drug trafficking, one a third-degree and the other a fourth-degree felony, could face up to 54 months in prison. The prosecutor’s offer included dismissing the fourth-degree felony and sentencing Davis to 36 months in prison on the third-degree felony. Davis, who has already served three months in the county jail, would have been eligible for judicial release after nine months. Applying the jail-time credit to an expected nine-month prison sentence, Davis would have only needed to serve six months if he pleaded guilty.
Unsuccessful plea negotiations and the rejected offer means Davis will go to trial on May 19.
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Thirty-one-year-old Shane Cameron, of Bucyrus, received the maximum prison sentences allowed for his felonies. Cameron pleaded guilty to the illegal conveyance of drugs onto a detention facility, a third-degree felony, and possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. He was sentenced to consecutive terms of 36 months and 12 months, respectively, for a total of 48 months in prison. He was also fined $1,250 and received a six-month driver’s license suspension.
“He’s here to take whatever medicine this court hands out,” defense attorney Adam Stone stated.
Cameron, who admitted to taking a good path until an event sent him on a different one, said he was messed up the night the incidences took place.
“I’m not trying to waste the court’s time,” Cameron said. “You only get to see me when I’m doing bad. You don’t see me when I’m doing right.”
Leuthold acknowledged that Cameron seemed like a reasonable person.
“Your problem is not the 75 percent time you’re doing right; it’s the 25 percent you’re doing bad. And it’s really bad,” Leuthold said. “You’ve got the potential to do some pretty good things.”
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Thirty-year-old Ashlee Treisch, of Galion, also received a hefty prison sentence. Treisch pleaded guilty to the illegal conveyance of drugs onto a detention facility, a third-degree felony, and received a 15-month prison sentence. That term will be served consecutively to a 12-month sentence for violating her community control. Treisch also received a $1,250 fine and a six-month driver’s license suspension.
“I do not think that you’re a bad person. I just think you’re so lost in addiction that you do one bad thing after another,” Leuthold led with before forcing Treisch to face the harsh reality of her actions. “You’ve got all the motivation in the world to stay clean.”
Leuthold was referring to Treisch’s two children, who the judge said would not understand the ramifications of her decisions. Rather, believed Leuthold, the children would remember the pain and misery if their mother continued on her path.
“If that doesn’t motivate you, I don’t know what will,” Leuthold said.
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Tyler Donathan pleaded guilty to corrupting another with drugs, a fourth-degree felony, and received a personal recognizance bond while he awaits the results of a pre-sentence investigation. A stipulation of the bond included Donathan having no contact with minors except for his immediate family. The 20-year-old Crestline man’s recommended sentence would place him on community control for five years, enter him into a drug and alcohol treatment program, suspend his driver’s license for six months, and fine him $1,250.
If Donathan violates his bond or fails on community control, he could be sentenced up to 18 months in prison.