By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
The future became a little more certain for five men on Friday in Commons Pleas court hearings: five are going to prison and one is getting out.
Forty-four-year-old Thomas Owens of Morrow County pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony drug trafficking.
“People who traffic in drugs in this county go to prison,” Judge Seam Leuthold told Owens. “That’s the way it is now.”
Owens replied, “I’m aware of that now.”
The judge, as per the agreement reached with the Crawford County Prosecutors Office, sentenced Owens to 11 months in prison.
A drug charge also resulted in a prison sentence for 29-year-old Scott Sharrock of Galion. Sharrock was given an eight-month sentence following his guilty plea to fifth-degree drug possession involving heroin. In 2004 Sharrock was convicted of burglary.
Thirty-four-year-old Samuel Shepherd of Bucyrus was also sentenced to eight months in prison, but for receiving stolen property.
Both Dustin Harper and Robert Fisher were sentenced to prison when they admitted to violating terms of their community control.
Harper was sentenced for the balance of a 36-month sentence stemming from a conviction in a 2012 case for burglary.
Fisher was sentenced to the balance of a 10-month sentence for a breaking and entering conviction in 2013.
Matthew Huffine’s motion for early release from prison was granted by the judge. Huffine was sentenced to 18 months in prison earlier this year for felony DUI. He also had to forfeit a vehicle to Crestline police at the time of his original sentencing. On Friday Huffine was placed on community control for five years.