BUCYRUS―Justin Carroll, 36, of Mansfield, was sentenced to prison Wednesday in the Crawford County Common Pleas Court.
Carroll was found guilty of possession of methamphetamines during a jury trial held on June 2nd. The charge is a felony of the second degree punishable with up to eight years in prison.
Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold heard sentencing recommendations from the State and Defense counsel, probation reports, and reviewed letters of support submitted to the court.
Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Hoovler told the court that Carroll parked in a fire zone at a gas station. Around 2:30 am, Carroll used the restroom at the gas station. After that, he was unresponsive for three hours. When the Police arrived at the scene, they got Carroll coherent enough to have a dialogue with him.
Police recovered a pouch from his car with 48.98 grams of methamphetamines and Carroll’s wallet inside. In another box, individually wrapped portions of methamphetamines and a digital scale were found, indicating trafficking intentions.
“It is the desire of the Crawford County Prosecutor’s Office and law enforcement to punish these large amounts of meth that find their way to the addicted users. It creates more crime in Crawford County.” Hoovler said.
Hoovler asked the court to impose a mandatory seven years in prison. Because this case falls under Reagan Tokes law, the Ohio Department of Corrections can increase the sentence by 50 percent or an additional three and a half years. That decision is based on an offender’s behavior while incarcerated and other factors, including housing classification and the threat level of the offender.
If the offender displays exemplary behavior while incarcerated, the sentence may be reduced by 5-15 percent.
Defense attorney Robert Dintaman asked the court for a minimum sentence of two years in prison. He told the court that his client had accepted the jury’s verdict but maintained his innocence. Dintaman said the court should consider the letters of support from people who know Carroll and believe in him.
“I have worked with Justin, and this is not indicative of his character. I know the court must impose a sentence. We would ask for a minimum of two years in prison. He can show he can rehabilitate and come back here, get to work, and be a productive member of society.” Dintaman said.
Judge Leuthold asked for a report from the probation department. Carroll has been on bond during the lengthy case. Probation Officer Chris Heydinger has supervised Carrołl since September 2022.
Heydinger reported that of 31 drug tests administered, 23 were clean, and eight tested positive for marijuana or alcohol. He had three consecutive weeks of clean tests.
Judge Leuthold read four letters of support submitted for Carroll. Judge Leuthold put factors on the record that the supporters may not have understood. Carroll was found guilty of possessing the drugs and knowing they were in his car.
When asked if he had anything to say, Carroll addressed the court, saying, “I’m sorry this horrible situation came about. I’ve changed my life a lot in the past year.”
Judge Leuthold rendered his sentence:
“Meth is a dangerous and destructive drug that destroys people mentally, physically, and emotionally. Almost 50 grams of meth is a lot of meth. Laws lean towards more significant penalties for larger amounts. You were given an option in 2014 after a conviction of possession of drugs to take treatment in lieu of conviction. That failed, and then you got placed on community control. You violated the terms of community control and ended up spending 12 months in prison. Your behavior on bond was far from perfect, testing positive for alcohol and marijuana.” Leuthold said.
Judge Leuthold sentenced Carroll to a minimum mandatory sentence of 5-71/2 years in prison. He will receive 39 days of jail time credit. He will not be eligible for judicial release.
Leuthold waived the fines in the case due to indigency and appointed an attorney to represent Carroll should he file an appeal of his case.