By Gary Ogle and Krystal Smalley
gogle@wbcowqel.com
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
A 25-year-old man was sentenced to prison for four years on Monday following his guilty plea to a charge of second-degree burglary. However, with that plea came a promise from Judge Sean Leuthold.
“I don’t think, Mr. James, you are unsalvageable,” the judge told Kyle James. “I will keep tabs on you.”
Leuthold told James that if he made progress in prison, he would be willing to consider a motion for early release – providing his behavior warranted it.
“Unfortunately you got yourself involved with drugs and heroin,” Leuthold said. “I think that is what this is all about.”
James was also fined $1,000.
Thirty-one-year-old Ryan Staton avoided the maximum sentence following his guilty plea to fifth-degree drug possession, but he is going to prison. Staton was sentenced to seven months in prison.
He was also was given mandatory penalties of a $1,250 fine and a six-month driver’s license suspension. Staton must forfeit all drug-related items to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.
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Twenty-two-year-old Trey Onie of Galion was charged with eight counts of fifth-degree felony vandalism. Onie admitted to being responsible for a night of vandalism that resulted in 20 mail boxes and as many as eight road signs being destroyed.
However, the judge noted that Onie had taken a big step prior to making his plea by putting $3,321.84 in trust with his lawyer to make complete restitution.
“Mr. Onie, through stupidity you got yourself in a terrible situation. You are doing everything you can to dig yourself out,” Leuthold said from the bench.
In return for Onie’s plea to three counts, the County Prosecutor’s Office agreed to dismiss the remaining five counts. However, Onie’s restitution will make all the affected victims financially whole.
Although the judge ordered a pre-sentence investigation, the recommended sentence is one year on community control, court costs and restitution.
The last time Harlie Witten was before Leuthold, he warned her she would be living by his rules. That warning still did not change when she appeared in court for a judicial release hearing.
The 25-year-old woman served roughly 90 days of her 12-month prison sentence and sought an early release. Leuthold already indicated at her last hearing that her attorney, Adam Stone, should file a motion after Witten served 60 days in prison for her community control violations.
Witten said she took advantage of the programs offered in prison by enrolling in Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
Assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler said the state had no objection to Witten’s motion for early release, but reminded her that she would have to serve the balance of her sentence if she failed probation again.
“There’s lots of stuff we can help you with,” Leuthold added as he discussed the Intensive Supervision and Treatment (ISAT) program.
“You’ve seen too much and done too much already to a 26-year-old,” Leuthold said. “You can’t do any of that stuff – if you do, you’ll go back to prison.”
Leuthold granted the judicial release motion and placed her on his ISAT program.
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