Teen sentenced to seven years in prison

By Gary Ogle and Krystal Smalley
gogle@wbcowqel.com; ksmalley@wbcowqel.com

A Galion teen barely five months past his 18th birthday was sentenced to seven years in prison on Tuesday following his guilty plea to two burglary charges.

Bradley Sipe entered pleas to second-degree felony burglary charges in two separate cases in front of Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold. The plea agreement accepted by the judge is seven-year prison sentences in each case to be served concurrently. Because of the nature of the offense, Sipe also forfeits his right to own a firearm.

Sipe could have been sentenced to a maximum eight years in prison and fined $16,000 on each charge.

While Sipe chose not to speak at his sentencing, Leuthold had some comments for the defendant. “We will not tolerate people breaking into homes and victimizing residents of this county.” The judge noted that if drugs played a role, addiction would not be considered an excuse.

Twenty-three-year-old Kayla Jay St. Clair was left with one stern reminder from Judge Leuthold as she left Common Pleas Court Tuesday afternoon: “This kind of nonsense is not going on anymore in this county.”

St. Clair had pleaded guilty to an amended receiving stolen property charge and admitted to violating her community control on another case. In the receiving stolen property case, St. Clair was sentenced to 10 months in prison. She was also ordered to pay a $1,250 fine and to pay restitution in the amount of $40.

In the earlier case, in which St. Clair had been placed on community control after pleading guilty to theft in August, the Bucyrus woman received an additional 12 months in prison. That prison sentence will be served consecutively to the newer case. St. Clair admitted to receiving a stolen credit card, fleeing from law enforcement officers twice, and being arrested. She will receive jail time credit of 94 days.

Five others submitted guilty pleas to their crimes but each sentence was put on hold until a pre-sentence investigation could be completed.

Thirty-year-old Andrea Sheppard of Bucyrus pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree trafficking felony and a fifth-degree drug possession felony. Sheppard will serve five years on community control as part of her plea deal while also entering into a drug and alcohol treatment program. Her driver’s license was suspended for six months, she must pay a $1,250 mandatory drug fine, and she was ordered to forfeit any drug-related property being held by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office. Her $100,000 bond was continued and she was returned to the county jail to await her sentencing hearing.

Jason Kitts, 35, of Galion pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property, a fifth-degree felony. The State recommended a sentence of three years community control along with undergoing a drug and alcohol treatment program, paying a $750 fine and $302.54 in restitution. Kitts was released on a personal recognizance bond until his sentencing hearing and was ordered to submit to a drug and alcohol assessment.

Nineteen-year-old Robert Thompson of Bucyrus pleaded guilty to theft, a fifth-degree felony. The State recommended a sentence of five years on community control, entering into a drug and alcohol treatment program, and paying a $1,250 fine. He was also released on a personal recognizance bond to await his sentencing hearing.

Bridget Carnes, 34, of Bucyrus pleaded guilty to drug possession, a fifth-degree felony. As part of her plea deal, Carnes is expected to be placed on community control for five years, enter into a drug and alcohol treatment program, pay a $1,250 mandatory drug fine, and forfeit any drug-related property being held by the Bucyrus Police Department. Her driver’s license will also be suspended for six months. Leuthold continued Carnes’ $50,000 bond and ordered her to be returned to jail until her sentencing hearing.

Thirty-one-year-old Ashley McNeely of Galion also pleaded guilty to drug possession, a fifth-degree felony. Her agreement stated that she will be placed on community control for five years and must undergo a drug and alcohol treatment program. McNeely must also pay a $1,250 mandatory drug fine and forfeit any drug-related property being held by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office. Her driver’s license was also suspended for six months. McNeely’s $50,000 bond was continued and she was ordered to be returned to the county jail until her sentencing hearing.

Fifty-one-year-old Myron Carroll appeared in Common Pleas Court Tuesday afternoon for a hearing on his community control violations. Carroll’s supervising officer alleged that Carroll had been convicted of falsification in another county, failed to report to his office visits, and failed to inform his supervising officer of his change of address.

Leuthold appointed attorney Adam Stone as counsel and set bond at $100,000.

Carroll had been on community control since August of 2013 after pleading guilty to vandalism.

William Bauer Jr., 38, also appeared in court for an initial hearing on his community control violations. Bauer’s supervising officer alleged that Bauer had drug abuse instruments in his possession and refused to submit to a random drug screen. Leuthold appointed Rolf Whitney as counsel and set bond at $100,000.

Bauer had been sentenced to four years in prison in June of 2011 for domestic violence but had been granted judicial release on Dec. 19 of that same year. He was then placed on community control for five years.

Zachary Tolar’s second chance may have just flew by him. Thirty-two-year-old Tolar, a Bucyrus resident, appeared in Common Pleas Court Tuesday afternoon to answer to additional community control violations. Tolar’s probation had been extended to five years in October and he was ordered to complete the county’s Drug Court MAT program.

Tolar violated his extended probation when he failed a random drug screen and tested positive for opiates and cocaine on Feb. 9. He also failed to comply with the MAT program and failed to report to his supervising office in February.

Attorney Tim O’Leary was appointed as Tolar’s counsel and bond was set at $100,000.

Twenty-three-year-old Ross Craner of Galion refused to submit to a random drug screening as ordered by his supervising officer on Feb. 6. He had to answer for violating his community control less than a week later. O’Leary was appointed at Tolar’s attorney and bond was set at $100,000.

Matthew Burchett was granted a big reprieve after testing positive for a drug screening at the county’s Drug Court MAT program just the day before. Judge Leuthold met with Burchett and his supervising officer in his chambers to discuss giving the 32-year-old Galion man a second chance on his community control.

“I’m not going to tolerate any more screw ups,” Leuthold told Burchett. “You’re going to be tested randomly and more often.”

Leuthold dismissed the community control violations case.

Kyle Loy was arraigned on a felony five charge of drug possession. He retained attorney Terry Gernert and was released on a personal recognizance bond with the stipulation that he undergo a drug assessment and any recommended treatment. Loy could face a maximum of 12 months in prison and a $2,500 fine.