By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
A Bucyrus woman was sentenced to nearly five years in prison after pleading guilty to first and fifth degree felonies.
Tonya Laferty, 38, of Bucyrus, entered guilty pleas to two different cases in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Wednesday afternoon. Laferty was facing three charges on an April case, which included having weapons under disability and two counts of drug possession, and two charges on a May case, which included a first-degree felony of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and a second-degree felony of trafficking in drugs. The Bucyrus women pleaded guilty to the first-degree felony of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and to a possession of drugs charge. The rest of the charges were dismissed.
Laferty admitted to being involved with others in criminal activities between January 1 and January 5, 2013, and to possessing heroin on February 19.
Judge Russell Wiseman sentenced Laferty to four years on the first-degree felony and 11 months on the felony five drug possession. The sentences will be served consecutively for a total of four years and 11 months, though Laferty could receive judicial release after serving nine months in prison. She was credited 126 days for time already served and ordered to pay a mandatory drug fine of $1,250. Laferty will have her license suspended for six months and must serve a mandatory five years on post release control.
Brian Watkins was granted a bit of time before he has to report to prison. Watkins, 43, of Galion, was unsuccessfully terminated from probation and pleaded guilty to a felony five drug possession charge. He admitted to possessing Percocet on March 7, 2013.
Watkins was sentenced to 10 months in prison, though he was credited for 56 days he had already served. He must also pay a $1,250 mandatory drug fine and must forfeit $2,240 to the Galion Police Department.
Watkins asked Wiseman for a 72-hour furlough before reporting to the Crawford County Justice Center to be transported to prison. After taking into consideration that Watkins had already been out on bond and reporting to his supervising officer, the judge ordered Watkins to report to jail by 6 p.m. on August 16.
An initial hearing on community control violations probably didn’t go the way Susan Wilson wanted. Wilson, 39, of Bucyrus, had pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and possession of drugs in March of 2011 and had served some time. While out on community control, however, she allegedly used another’s urine for a drug test, possessed drug paraphernalia, and tested positive for opiates. All of the violations occurred on August 8.
Due to Wilson’s issues with heroin and her felony arraignment scheduled for Monday, her bond was set at $25,000. Wiseman appointed attorney Robert Whitney and the case was continued for a full hearing.