By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
Three people will be taking up residence in the near future following their guilty pleas and convictions Tuesday in Crawford County Common Pleas Court.
Nineteen-year-old Miranda Burton pleaded guilty to felony 3 illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs. Burton was arrested in April at a residence near Plymouth by authorities seeking to shut down a meth lab.
Burton was sentenced to 36 months in prison, minus time served in the county jail, but can apply for judicial release after serving nine months. Upon her release Burton must also complete an in-patient drug treatment program.
Burton’s driver’s license was suspended for six months and a $5,000 drug fine was imposed. Charges of possession of drugs and aggravated possession of drugs were dismissed in return for her guilty plea.
Twenty-three-year-old Joe Long of Detroit pleaded guilty to a charge of felony 5 identity fraud. Long claimed to be his brother when stopped by local authorities in May. Long has a criminal record in Michigan.
Long was sentenced to seven months in prison credit for time served in the county jail. Long was also fined $750.
Thirty-three-year-old Joseph Grasely pleaded guilty to drug possession and was sentenced to seven months in prison. Grasely will receive credit for time served in the county jail. Grasely, who was arrested with heroin, had his driver’s license suspended for six months and also received a $1,250 drug fine.
Also going to prison is 29-year-old Ryan Staton of Mansfield. Staton was convicted of felony 4 burglary in January and placed on three years of community control at that time. Staton, however, admitted he has not been in contact with a probation officer as required since his conviction.
Staton admitted to the community control violation and was sentenced to 18 months in prison minus time served. Judge Russell Wiseman also reminded Staton he is still under obligation to pay $1,369 to the victim in the case.
Three other people also admitted to community control violations Tuesday, but did avoid prison.
Thirty-one-year-old Richard Poland Junior pleaded guilty to a new charge of felony domestic violence and violating community control from previous convictions. Poland was kept on community control and ordered to complete in-patient drug treatment at the Volunteers of America, fined $1,250 and placed on three years of community control. Poland was also ordered held at the county jail until placed.
Christopher Lewis admitted violating his community control from a 2008 conviction. Lewis’s violations included trying to cause physical harm to another, taking property belonging to another, being indicted in Franklin County for receiving stolen property and not informing his probation officer of his whereabouts. Lewis was unsuccessfully terminated from community control.
Thirty-three-year-old Timothy Crawford of Bucyrus admitted violating community control by refusing a drug test as required and being in possession of a syringe. Crawford is on community control for two cases – one a receiving stolen property conviction and the second for forgery.
Crawford will continue on community control and will be evaluated by the county’s drug court for the MAT program. Crawford will remain in custody until that assessment is complete.