By Gary Ogle and Krystal Smalley
gogle@wbcowqel.com; ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Another home search has ended in a maximum prison sentence for a local man.
Fifty-four-year-old Scott Plaster was arrested on March 12 after officers from the Ohio Adult Parole Authority, with the help of the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and the Galion and Bucyrus police departments, searched his home at 941 Kelly St. in Galion.
APA officers seized suspected heroin, prescription drugs, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a handgun, and two rifles. He had been on probation for drug possession at the time of his arrest.
Plaster admitted to violating the terms of his community control and pleaded guilty to having weapons under disability in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Monday afternoon. Plaster was unable to avoid the maximum 36-month prison sentence that came along with the third-degree felony. He was also ordered to forfeit the three firearms seized in the arrest to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.
“This county is not going to tolerate people running around with firearms that are not supposed to have firearms,” Judge Sean Leuthold said.
After admitting to possessing marijuana, suspected heroin, and drug paraphernalia, failing to submit to a random drug screen, and possessing three firearms, Plaster was terminated unsuccessfully from his probation.
Joshua Blankenship pleaded guilty to a bill of information for drug possession. Blankenship admitted to possessing cocaine on April 3. He was sentenced to seven months in prison with credit for 18 days spent in the county jail. Blankenship’s driver’s license was suspended for six months and he must pay a $1,250 mandatory drug fine as well as forfeit drug-related property to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.
Two people were placed on community control for five years Monday morning in unrelated cases. They were also given the same warning by Judge Sean Leuthold: “This is your one free bite of the apple.”
Forty-seven-year-old Samuel Bowersox had previously pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony drug possession. Thirty-six-year-old Heather Mosley had pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony theft. In both cases it was the first felony conviction for both defendants and neither could be sent to prison under Ohio’s sentencing guidelines.
Bowersox must also complete drug and alcohol treatment and pay a $1,250 fine. His driver’s license was also suspended for six months. In addition to community control, Mosely must pay restitution, spend 120 days in the Crawford County jail and was placed on intensive supervision.
In the afternoon court session 19-year-old Blake Whitt was sentenced to five years on community control, must enter into a drug and alcohol treatment program, had his driver’s license suspended for six months, and must pay a $1,250 mandatory drug fine. He was also ordered to forfeit drug-related property to the Galion Police Department.
Whitt had pleaded guilty to a fifth-degree felony drug possession charge on March 25.
Leuthold once again lamented the fact that Whitt, as a first time offender with a fifth-degree felony charge, was not eligible for prison. After a discussion with Whitt, however, Leuthold suggested that it would be in Whitt’s best interests if he spent his time with his mother and step-father rather than his biological father, who was sentenced to 17 months in prison in March. Leuthold added that, after drug testing Whitt on multiple occasions, the 19-year-old man seemed to finally be on the right path.
Thirty-year-old Ashley Hickok was supposed to be sentenced and wanted to be sentenced, but the judge postponed sentencing so she could consult with legal counsel. Leuthold appointed Grant Garverick to represent her and set bond at $250,000.
Hickok failed to appear previously and pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony theft. She had waived counsel at that time. Although Hickok’s plea agreement did not include a prison sentence, her failure to appear while under bond could result in another felony and the judge wanted her to have legal advice before imposing any sentence that might include prison time.