By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com

It may be a new year but the prosecutor’s office certainly did not make a resolution to back off seeking stiff penalties for crimes committed in Crawford County.

Defendant Kaleb Johnson received a total of 48 months in prison after pleading guilty Monday afternoon in Common Pleas Court to trafficking and possessing drugs.

“It’s a very interesting case. Sad in a lot of ways,” commented Judge Sean Leuthold after hearing defense attorney James Mayer III describe Johnson as a young man who had a bright future before being consumed by a “quick downward spiral into drug addiction.”

Leuthold noted that the 20-year-old Crestline man came from a nice family and had plenty of opportunities in his life.

“You weren’t forced down this path; you willingly chose it,” Leuthold said while surmising that youthful stupidity and arrogance were some of the reasons why Johnson did so. “Clearly what you’re doing isn’t working very well. How you can go from college to sitting there in a short period of time baffles me.”

Leuthold sentenced Johnson to 36 months in prison for third-degree felony drug possession and 12 months for fifth-degree felony drug trafficking. The sentences will be served concurrently for a total of 48 months in prison. Johnson must also pay a $5,000 fine and forfeit drug-related paraphernalia being held to the Crestline Police Department.

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The facts of Gerald Brock’s case were serious enough that not following the recommended maximum sentence was given very little consideration. The 50-year-old Crestline man pleaded guilty to compelling prostitution, a third-degree felony.

Assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler stated that a 15-year-old female arrived at a residence to pick up her brother when Brock asked her how much it would cost for a sexual favor. Defense attorney Geoffrey Stoll contended that Brock would be pleading guilty to the felony due to the fact that he had been in an alcoholic state at the time and did not remember the events.

“I find this case to be extremely troubling,” Leuthold said, noting that the crime did not involve two adults but an adult and a juvenile. “The court finds that repugnant and unacceptable . . . This court is not going to tolerate this kind of behavior to a child.”

Leuthold sentenced Brock to 36 months in prison, the maximum sentence for the felony three conviction, and ordered him to pay a $2,000 fine.

Though Leuthold believed common sense would indicate that Brock should be labeled a sexual offender in this case, the law did not require it of Brock. Leuthold did not let that deter him from issuing a warning to the defendant.

“You stay away from the children of the community or you’ll deal with me,” Leuthold said.

Terry Hunter of Tiro pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and admitted to violating his community control. As a result, the 48-year-old man was sentenced to 39 months in prison.

Hunter admitted to violating his community control when, on Dec. 9, he tampered with evidence and used Oxycodone. The violations landed him one-year prison sentences each for cases that occurred in 2011 and 2012. The incident also landed him a new charge, which he pleaded to Monday. Hunter received 15 months for tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. The sentences will be served consecutively for a total of 39 months in prison.

“You keep screwing up. You keeping going to prison,” admonished Leuthold.

“I hear you, sir,” Hunter replied.

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Thirty-year-old Anthony Lockhart, of Shelby, waffled on taking a plea deal. Though he eventually took the 12-month prison deal, it wasn’t without testing the limit of Leuthold’s patience.

The state offered Lockhart a 12-month flat prison sentence in exchange for his guilty plea to tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony which typically carries a maximum 36 months in prison. Lockhart refused the offer at first but continued to question Leuthold on the particulars of his case, including how many days be would be credited and issues he supposedly had with his attorney, Brad Starkey.

“Your Honor, you honestly understand I didn’t tamper with evidence,” Lockhart said.

Leuthold lost patience with Lockhart protestations, immediately standing up from the bench and stating they would be moving to trial.

“I’ll take it. I’ll take the 12 months,” Lockhart hurriedly said as he saw Leuthold moving toward his offices.

Leuthold sentenced Lockhart to 12 months in prison and recommended transitional control, the same sentence he handed down to Jeffrey Zenowicz at the end of December. Zenowicz had supplied Lockhart with a fake urine sample.

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It has been nearly four and half years since Colin Vanderpool appeared in Crawford County Common Pleas Court. That was not a good thing.

The 38-year-old Bloomville man was issued a $150,000 bond after allegations were brought against him for violating his community control. In June of 2011, Vanderpool allegedly changed his address without permission and failed to report to his office visits. Both instances occurred less than a month after he was placed on community control for drug possession.