BUCYRUS — Mason Olmstead of Bucyrus appeared in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Wednesday and pleaded guilty to violating his community control and to admit guilt on a new charge.
Olmstead, 25, pleaded guilty to burglary in July 2018 and was sentenced to four years in prison. He was granted judicial release in September 2018 and placed on community control. He also pleaded guilty to a new charge of felonious assault, a fourth-degree felony punishable with up to 18 months in prison.
According to probation officer Eric Bohach, Olmstead assaulted a juvenile in March and tested positive for alcohol use and admitted the same.
Before imposing sentence, Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold asked the state and defense if they had comments. Olmstead’s attorney, Adam Stone, asked the court to allow his client to have a report date so that he could settle financial matters if sentenced to prison.
Stone pointed out that his client had never missed an appointment with probation office and never failed a drug screen in the past. Stone said his client was despondent after the death of his girlfriend and was not a flight risk.
Leuthold deviated from the plea negation of nine months in prison on the new charge and imposing four years on the original underlying charge.
“I am not giving you a report date. I’m doing that for your own good,” Leuthold said. “The state would tell you I rarely deviate from an agreed plea negotiation, maybe one per cent of the time. I am going to sentence you to 30 days in the Crawford County Jail on the new charge and am imposing the four-year prison sentence on the community control violation. You’d best take advantage of this opportunity.”
In other court action, Keith Smith, 29, of Bucyrus pleaded guilty to one count of domestic violence, a fourth-degree felony punishable with up to 18 months in prison.
In a plea negotiation, Leuthold placed Smith on five years of community control. He is to complete Anger Management Counseling, a domestic violence assessment and any follow up treatment.
Victim advocate, James Scott, appeared in the court room with the victim who not only said she agreed with the sentence but asked for the two to be permitted contact with one another.
“I detest men who put their hands on women. Now you are on felony probation,” Leuthold said. “When we say jump, you say how high. I am now speaking to the victim. Protect yourself. I never grant contact until at least after 30 days and that’s a request you have to make for a separate hearing. We run a tight ship here and this is not going to be permitted.”
Dalton Caudill, 27, of Bucyrus pleaded guilty to two third-degree felonies of tampering with evidence and possession of drugs, each punishable with up to three years in prison and one count of obstructing justice, a fifth-degree felony punishable with up to one year in prison.
In a plea negotiation, Leuthold sentenced Caudill to eight months in prison on each count for a total of two years in prison. He will forfeit all drug-related property and receive 53 days of jail time credit.
Christopher Prosser, 49, currently incarcerated in the Grafton Correctional Facility, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony punishable with up to one year in prison. Leuthold sentenced Prosser to a six-month flat prison sentence. Prosser will forfeit all drug-related property. Leuthold said he would not oppose transitional control if the prison requested it.