By Kathy Laird
Heather Grasley, 30, of Bucyrus ended a long negotiation by changing her plea in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on Monday.
Appearing in court with her attorney Carlo Crawford, Grasley received the maximum sentence on three of six charges. In accordance with the plea agreement, Grasley will serve 12 months each on two counts of drug possession and 36 months on one count of tampering with evidence. She will serve a total of 59 months in prison and forfeit all drug related property to the Bucyrus Police Department.
Grasley was arrested in a drug bust at 409 W. Mansfield St.
Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Hoovler shared with the court that Grasley admitted to selling heroin laced with fentanyl. Lab results verified the drugs seized contained fentanyl.
Hoovler said at least four overdoses were attributed to drugs the group had sold.
Large amounts of heroin laced with fentanyl were thrown out a window during the raid.
Before imposing the sentence, Judge Sean Leuthold discussed the length of time Grasley had been involved with Bucyrus courts over the years.
“You have four children, none of whom are in your custody. At least with two of the pregnancies you were using heroin, specifically with the child you just gave birth to,” Leuthold said. “I let you out of jail to have a healthy baby and you abided by the terms and returned to jail after giving birth. That goes in your favor. But you subjected your unborn child to heroin and sold dangerous drugs to people you know.”
Noting that one person was lying on the porch passed out during the raid.
“There has been a lot of talk by stupid people flying around the Internet. They say I’m so tough on drugs because my niece overdosed on drugs. Have you heard that Ms. Grasley?” Leuthold asked. When Grasley affirmed she had heard the rumors Leuthold went on to say; “That could not be further from the truth. I had a distant cousin overdose, one that I did not personally know. I sentence so harshly because the people of Crawford County deserve to be protected from you and people like you. You’ve left a mass of destruction in your wake.”
In conclusion Leuthold encouraged Grasley to get her life together, Leuthold reminded her that she is still young and that her future now is in her hands.
In another case, Grasley’s co-defendant Joseph Phillips, 21, of Bucyrus changed his plea in Crawford County Common Pleas Court. Appearing with his attorney, Joel Spitzer, Phillips pleaded guilty to one count of possession of drugs and one count of trafficking in drugs.
He will serve 30 months in prison for his role in the selling of drugs. Phillips admitted to traveling to Mansfield to buy drugs for resale.
When asked by Leuthold if he knew the drugs were laced with fentanyl, Phillips replied, “I plead the fifth.”
Phillips was ordered to forfeit all drug related property to the Bucyrus Police Department.