BUCYRUS — Robert Skaggs, formerly of Bucyrus, was arraigned in Crawford County Municipal Court on Thursday facing additional charges.
Skaggs, 45, pleaded no contest to possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony punishable with up to one year in prison on Tuesday.
Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold found Skaggs guilty and sentenced him to five years of community control and ordered him to be released from jail. Skaggs was to report to probation officer Eric Bohach on Thursday morning.
Skaggs was arrested and was arraigned by video from the Crawford County Justice Center. Skaggs appeared before Crawford County Municipal Court Judge Shane Leuthold.
Skaggs is charged with one count of telecommunication harassment, one count of aggravated trespass and one count of stalking, all first-degree misdemeanors and each punishable with up to 180 days in jail.
According to assistant prosecutor, Rhonda Best, Skaggs’ former girlfriend brought her vehicle to the Bucyrus Police Department because a male friend of Skaggs told her he had placed a GPS monitoring device under her vehicle while she was at work.
Officers did not find the unit when they first checked the vehicle. Later, the girlfriend called police back and said the Skaggs’ friend had come to her home, retrieved the GPS unit and that it had been attached to the drive shaft of her vehicle.
Police investigated the origin of the device and it was purchased from a company called Spytech. According to records, RAS Entertainment owned by Skaggs purchased the unit and maintained monthly fees for the tracking service. The fee allowed Skaggs to monitor the vehicle on his cell phone and computer.
The company indicated that the device had been turned off for non-payment of the monthly fee during the time in which Skaggs was incarcerated on a community control violation. Skaggs had spent 77 days in jail since his bond was revoked after he tested positive for meth on during a routine drug screening.
Municipal Court Judge Shane Leuthold told Skaggs he was troubled by the fact that he (Skaggs) was under a protection order as of April 28.
“You allegedly put a tracking device on this woman’s car and trespassed to do it while you were ordered to stay away from her,” Leuthold said.
Skaggs admitted to the judge that he owned the device, but it was for his own vehicle. Skaggs told Leuthold he wanted to go back to Kentucky and get on with his life.
Probation officer Eric Bohach told the court he had cleared the way for Skaggs to return to Kentucky for work and to live if the court released him today.
Leuthold entered not guilty pleas on Skaggs behalf on all three counts. Attorney Andrew Motter was appointed to represent Skaggs. Leuthold gave Skaggs a personal recognizance bond and gave him permission to return to Kentucky.
“If I find out you’re screwing around with this woman, it will result in a violation of your community control. Understand?” Leuthold said.
Skaggs again told the court he wants to get his life back on track. He said he would show up for all court hearings.
Skaggs will reside in Kentucky but remains under the jurisdiction of both the Crawford County Common Pleas and Municipal Court judges.
“Robbie, don’t screw this up man,” Leuthold said.
Skaggs is due back in court in August.