BUCYRUS — Taylor Conant of Bucyrus appeared in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on Monday.
Conant, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment, a third-degree felony punishable with up to three years in prison.
Children’s Services and police were called to her residence, and the home was found to have feces and cockroaches. The child was removed from the home and tested positive for meth and methamphetamine.
Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold asked Conant if she had anything to say after he reviewed the conditions outlined in the report. Conant’s remarks were unintelligible. An angry Leuthold told Conant that it was probably in her best interest that he couldn’t hear her clearly because she was wearing a mask.
“If you are about to make excuses for this, it would not go well for you. This is a bizarre case,” Leuthold said. “You tried to tell the police the child was with your sister when the child was right there in the room. I hear often that drug addiction is a victimless crime because the only person that gets hurt is the drug user. But that’s not always the case. When there are children, they suffer too. When you’re addicted to drugs, you can barely be a part time parent. You are too preoccupied with drugs. Being a full-time addict is your number one job. Your child was not your priority, living in a house with feces, roaches, and methamphetamines. Thank God the child is now safe and healthy.”
Seemingly regretful he could not sentence Conant to more time, Leuthold gave her the maximum penalty under law, three years in prison. She will receive 53 days of jail time credit.
“When you get out of prison, I’m sure there will be a plan to try to reunite you with your child,” Leuthold said. “For the love of God, make your child your top priority.”
In other court action, Lisa Conn, 43, of Carey pleaded guilty to violating the terms and conditions of her community control. In December 2018, she pleaded guilty to permitting drug abuse, a fifth-degree felony punishable with up to one year in prison. She was placed on five years of community control.
According to probation officer Eric Bohach, Conn has failed to report for office visits and failed to keep the probation department informed of her address.
In a plea negotiation, Leuthold sentenced Conn to a flat six months in prison.
Robert Sams, 56, of Galion pleaded guilty to one count of domestic violence, a fourth-degree felony punishable with up to 18 months in prison.
In a plea negotiation, Sams was sentenced to five years of community control and ordered to have no contact with the victim.
Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Hoovler told the court that Sams’ wife had asked that contact between the two be permitted immediately because of health concerns. Hoovler told the court he explained to the victim that there is a 30-day waiting period before a hearing can be scheduled to permit contact again.
Sams’ attorney, Grant Garverick, told the court that his client’s wife has Muscular Dystrophy and Sams is her caretaker.
An irritated Leuthold told the court that he needs to hold a hearing and the victim has to be present and make the request before he would consider lifting the no contact order.
When asked if he had anything to say, Sams told Leuthold, “We’ve been married for 40 years and I miss her.”
“Well if you miss her so much, keep your damn hands off her!” Leuthold said.
He warned Sams not to have contact with the victim at all.
“Our Victim Advocate will handle this and schedule a hearing where I will consider the request,” Leuthold said. “I’m telling you, if you contact her in any way, directly or indirectly, I’ll send you to prison for 18 months. You understand?”
Jessica Adamson, 22, of Marion appeared in court after receiving a summons from the Crawford County Grand Jury. Adamson pleaded not guilty to one count of possession of drugs, (methamphetamines), a fifth-degree felony punishable with up to one year in prison. Leuthold gave Adamson a personal recognizance bond and appointed attorney Brian Gernert to represent her.
James Weimer, 60, of Mt. Gilead appeared on a summons charging him with improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony punishable with up to 18 months in prison. Leuthold released Weimer on a personal recognizance bond. Weimer is represented by attorney Brian Gernert.