By Kathy Laird
CCN correspondent
BUCYRUS — Timothy J. Heefner II, 35, of Galion was sentenced in Crawford County Common Pleas Court to 36 months in prison Thursday. Heefner waived his right to a grand jury indictment and accepted a bill of information. Heefner then pleaded guilty to an additional charge of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.
Heefner had been placed on five years of community control following a conviction on a theft charge, a fifth-degree felony. As part of the terms and conditions of community control, the defendant was subject to regular urinalysis testing.
Heefner reported for testing but used a device he created to submit someone else’s urine as his own in an attempt to test clean. The device was designed to release urine as Heffner squeezed a dispensary pad located under his arm.
The odd dispensation of the urine alerted the probation department that Heefner was tampering with the test. The urine that Heefner submitted through the device also tested positive for methamphetamines.
Judge Sean Leuthold told Heefner that his decision to try to pull this over on the Probation Department landed him with a higher felony and a prison sentence.
“This is indicative of addiction decision making,” Leuthold said. “It’s an ingenious contraption, but the execution was badly flawed. And then the urine you tried to pass off tested positive for meth.”
Leuthold asked Heefner where he got the urine. Heefner explained that he thought he had a child’s urine and that someone gave it to him. When he was asked how much he paid for the urine, Heefner said it was free.
Leuthold told Heefner that this is a serious sign that the defendant is spiraling down. However, he told Heefner that there is a good side to all this.
“I’m sending you to prison, but you’re a smart guy who clearly has some engineering talent,” Leuthold said. “I will consider judicial release after you do at least half of your time. Take advantage of the good programs in prison, get involved and I’ll see you down the road.”
Heefner will serve 12 months on the original theft charge and 24 months of the tampering with evidence charge. He will receive credit for time served.
Shelby Bell, 24, of Mount Gilead, will spend the next eight months in prison on a possession of drugs charge. Bell was represented by attorney Grant Garverick. She will forfeit all drug-related property to the Galion Police Department.
Tyler Owens, 26, formerly of the Lake Erie Correctional Institution appeared in court to answer to charges that he violated the terms and conditions of his community control.
Owens was on judicial release when he was charged with the violations. He is accused of committing a robbery in Galion in April, possession of firearms and failing a drug test that was administered on July 26, 2017.
Owens tested positive for methamphetamines and suboxone. Judge Sean Leuthold appointed attorney Andrew Motter to represent Owens. Due to the nature of the underlying and new charges, Leuthold set bond at $250.000.