BUCYRUS — Shannon Evans appeared in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on Monday to plead guilty to possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony punishable with up to 12 months in prison.
In terms agreed to by the state of Ohio and the defendant, represented by attorney Sebastian Berger, Evans, 34, will spend a flat six months in prison. She will forfeit all drug-related property to the Crawford County Sherriff. Evans, currently housed in the Crawford County Justice Center, will receive 65 days of jail time credit.
In other court action, Tiffin man found himself back in jail facing allegations that he violated the terms and conditions of his community control. Stanley Hoffman, 56, of Tiffin pleaded guilty in 2018 to one count of menacing by stalking, a fourth-degree felony punishable with up to 18 months in prison.
Hoffman became fixated on a young woman whose picture he saw on social media. He did not know the girl but began stalking her at her home, school and church. Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold ordered Hoffman to have no contact directly or indirectly with the victim or any member of her immediate family as a condition of his community control.
Probation officer Mark Alspach prepared community control violation paperwork on Hoffman who sent him a letter in which he expressed his desire to be released from community control.
Hoffman threatened to put slanderous and untrue statements about the victim, her family, court personnel and Judge Leuthold on social media if he was not released from community control. Hoffman told the court in his letter that he had the right to put the lies on social media.
Leuthold called Hoffman’s “outlandish.” The judge found that there is probable cause to hold a full hearing on the allegations. Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Hoovler told the court he was pursuing new charges against Hoffman. Hoffman will be held in the Crawford County Justice Center until the hearing and attorney Brian Gernert was appointed to represent Hoffman.
Matthew Palmer, 30, of Galion appeared in court to turn down a plea deal offered by the State of Ohio. Palmer is charged with one count of possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony punishable with up to 12 months in prison.
The State offered Palmer a flat sentence of six months in prison. Leuthold wanted to put Palmer’s rejection of the plea on the record.
“I like to speak to a defendant in person and make sure they understand the plea and make sure they want to turn it down,” Leuthold said. “Mr. Palmer has every constitutional right to a trial in this matter and I will see to it that he gets a fair trial.”
Palmer told the court that he did not want the deal and wanted to take the matter to trial. Leuthold explained that since Palmer was on post release control through the prison system, if he is found guilty at trial, he would have roughly two-and-a-half years of post-release control time reimposed as well as whatever sentence he handed down in the matter.
Palmer indicated he had sent the judge a letter and asked if he had received it.
“If you sent me a letter, my bailiff has it and I would not see it nor should I. It would be inappropriate for me to read any material from you before I have to rule on your case,” Leuthold said. “If the shoe were on the other foot and some officer sent me a letter about you, I wouldn’t read that either. It is inappropriate.”
Leuthold advised Palmer that the State is not required to keep the offer of the flat sentence available and ordered a trial date be set.