By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
A man already facing charges that could put him in prison for as long as 12 and one-half years has been charged in Crawford County Municipal Court with threatening Judge Sean Leuthold.
Thirty-three-year-old Gary Poth was charged Tuesday with third-degree felony intimidation. The alleged threats were made while Poth was in custody at the county jail where he is still an inmate being held on $1 million bond for three drug-related charges.
Sean Leuthold’s brother, Shane Leuthold, is the Municipal Court judge but visiting Judge David Faulkner presided over Tuesday’s hearing when charges were formally filed against Poth.
Crawford County Prosecutor Matt Crall would not go into any detail about the specifics of the alleged threats or how authorities became aware of them. He did say, “They were very serious threats and we are taking them very seriously. We are continuing to investigate them.”
Crall noted his office is anticipating going to the Crawford County Grand Jury to seek an indictment on the latest charge against Poth. If Poth were to be convicted of felony intimidation, he could be sentenced to a maximum prison term of 36 months and fined as much as $10,000.
Poth is a co-defendant in an ongoing case stemming from a June 10 raid by local law enforcement authorities at 902 Maple St. in Bucyrus. Authorities recovered and seized 11 grams of what they alleged is “blue drop” heroin, cash and drug paraphernalia. As a result Poth is charged with fourth-degree felony drug possession, third-degree felony drug possession, and the second-degree felony charge of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
Poth’s co-defendants in that case are Josh Keith and April Dyer. Judge Sean Leuthold ruled that all three of those defendants will be tried together in a single trial scheduled for three days beginning Sept. 24.
Poth’s next scheduled court date in that case is Aug. 28 for a day-long hearing in front of Judge Sean Leuthold on a defense motion to suppress evidence. Poth’s attorney in the drug case and the newly filed charge is Adam Stone of Bucyrus.
Crall would not comment when asked if Judge Sean Leuthold will remain on the bench for the Aug. 28 hearing or the Sept. 24 trial.
In Tuesday’s hearing on the new intimidation charge, Judge Faulkner issued a personal recognizance bond given that Poth is already in jail on a $1 million bond in the other case.
In 2001, Poth was convicted of second-degree felonious assault. In that same case a second count of felony retaliation was reduced to misdemeanor assault. Poth was sentenced to seven years in prison following that conviction.