By Krystal Smalley and Bob Strohm
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com; bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
They say that Friday the 13 is an unlucky day. Well, Monday, July 13, turned out to be just as unlucky for two people in Crawford County Common Pleas Court.
Carolann Kogelschatz received a four-year prison sentence Monday afternoon after entering a change of plea to guilty on a felony two burglary charge.
“Ms. Kogelschatz, I am familiar with you. I have dealt with you at municipal court. I gave you many chances to right your life, but now you have a felony two burglary charge,” Judge Sean Leuthold said. “I believe that the sentence is necessary to protect the public from you.”
Judge Leuthold said that he felt that drug abuse may have been a contributing factor to Kogelschatz committing the crime, and that the court does not tolerate that type of lifestyle.
By entering a guilty plea Kogelschatz had a second charge of robbery dropped. While Kogelschatz didn’t receive a fine, she will also have to pay court costs. Upon release Kogelschatz will have a mandatory post release control of three years.
Things didn’t get any luckier for Matthew Witten. Witten admitted to testing positive for cocaine on June 2 while out on community control.
Witten had been given a second chance in 2014 when he was released early on a 24-month prison sentence. He had been serving time after pleading guilty to receiving stolen property and breaking and entering.
Leuthold imposed that original 24-month sentence Monday afternoon. Witten will receive credit for time served in prison and the county jail.
Twenty-two-year-old Sasha Shoemaker of Bucyrus did not last more than six months on community control. Shoemaker appeared in court for allegedly testing positive for opiates and Oxycodone, failing to report to her parole officer, and failing to report to a program.
Assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler noted that drugs were a part of her two prior convictions and that she has not dealt with her opiate addiction.
Leuthold appointed Adam Stone as her attorney and set bond at $150,000.
Forty-two-year-old Gary Fox of Galion may not be able to avoid a 12-month prison sentence. Fox appeared in court to answer to charges of community control violations. He allegedly used marijuana, took property from Moto Mart, acted in a disorderly manner, and failed to keep his supervising officer aware of his address.
Leuthold appointed Adam Stone as Fox’s counsel and set bond at $100,000. Fox, who had pleaded guilty to drug possession in 2012 and had been placed on probation at the time, could face up to 12 months in prison for the violations.