BUCYRUS — Audrey Mattox, 61, of Galion was arraigned in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on Monday, on two charges in the indictment returned by the Crawford County Grand Jury.
Mattox was charged with one count of child endangerment and one count of tampering with evidence. Both charges are third-degree felonies punishable by as many as 36 months in prison on each count.
Mattox was the guardian of a four-month-old baby who she left in the care of Adam Gunter who currently is facing charges of rape of the infant. Mattox left the baby with Gunter while she went to karaoke.
Gunter recently was found competent to stand trial in the rape case.
If Mattox is found guilty on both counts, she could serve as many as six years in prison.
Judge Sean Leuthold appointed attorney Joel Spitzer to defend Mattox. Bond was set at $250,000.
In other court action, Colton Parson, 20, of Galion was indicted on one charge of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony charge punishable by as many as 36 months in prison.
Parson allegedly tried to impact an investigation by using false records to mislead a police officer.
Leuthold entered a not guilty plea and appointed Grant Gaverick to represent Parson. Bond was set at $250,000.
Shawna Holman, 37, of Bucyrus was indicted by the Crawford County Grand Jury on charges including possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony charge punishable with as any as 12 months in prison, one count of obstructing justice, also a fifth-degree felony and falsification, a misdemeanor punishable with as many as six months in prison.
Attorney Tani Eyer was appointed to represent Holman. Bond was set at $100,000.
James Oehrli, 53, of Galion admitted to violating the terms and conditions of his community control by testing positive for drug use. Oehrli was sentenced in 2011, under a previous judge’s ruling, to 10 years in prison for aggravated robbery with the promise of judicial release after five years.
“I would have sent you for 11 years because I don’t put up with this kind of nonsense,” Leuthold said. “But you received this sentence from another judge and here I am dealing with this nonsense.”
Oehrli’s attorney, Geoff Stoll, asked the court to continue his community control and assign him to the treatment program offered by the Volunteers of America in Mansfield.
“You know Mr. Oehrli, it would take me four seconds to smack this gavel and send you back to prison,” Leuthold said. “There are four seconds between you and prison, and you have four seconds to convince me why I should not send you.”
Oehrli told the court that he had been out more than two-and-a-half years without any problems. He told the court he works 16 hours a day to take care of his house and child and that he slipped up and made a mistake.
“I’m getting too old for this stuff, I’m 53,” Oehrli said.
Leuthold agreed with Oehrli and decided to allow him to remain on community control and work the program with the Volunteers of America.
“Let me tell you something. You are on felony community control with me now,” Leuthold said. “I’m not putting up with any nonsense. You will do what I say 100 percent of the time. Do not test me again. In four seconds, you will be gone.”
Ashley Loftis, 21, of Bucyrus pleaded guilty to one count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony. Loftis was doing meth in a drug house and became involved in an altercation with a male. To defend herself, Loftis hit a male with a hammer.
“You were in a drug house where everyone was high on meth. People on meth become highly agitated and paranoid,” Leuthold said. “Bad things are going to happen when everyone is bombed out of their mind. The victim in this case is not devoid of fault.”
Leuthold was furious when he learned that Loftis had her 9-month-old baby in the drug house with her.
“I am so angry with you I could bust my bench,” Leuthold said. “You have really screwed up your life and you put your child in danger. Do you know what would have happened to that baby if, somehow, she got ahold of meth? Her little heart would have exploded!”
Leuthold sentenced Loftis to six months in the county jail and five years of community control. When released from jail Loftis will participate in the judge’s intensive supervision and treatment program.
“You’re going to answer to me now. You’re getting your GED, your license and a job,” Leuthold said. “We’re going to turn your life around. It would be easier for me to send you to prison. Stay the hell out of drug houses or I’m going to put you in prison so fast your head will spin.”