By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com

A Crestline man avoided prison after pleading guilty to felony DUI, but he was sentenced to 90 days in the county jail.

Fifty-year-old Gregg Bauer of Crestline was sentenced in accordance with a plea arrangement Monday in Crawford County Common Pleas Court. Bauer’s offense last August was his sixth DUI and treated as a felony according to state statute.

Bauer must not only serve 90 days in jail beginning April 6, but he was also fined $1,500 and must complete an alcohol and drug assessment plus any recommended follow-up treatment. Bauer’s driver’s license was also suspended for three years.

The good news for 44-year-old Louis Kimerlin on Monday was that he wasn’t going to prison. The other side of that coin, however, is that he must pay nearly $7,000 in restitution in order to stay out.

Kimerlin pleaded guilty in Common Pleas Court to fourth-degree felony theft. In accordance with his plea arrangement negotiated with the Crawford County Prosecutor’s Office, Kimerlin was initially sentenced to three years of community control with an order for the restitution, and a drug and alcohol assessment plus recommended follow-up treatment as conditions of his community control.

Should Kimerlin not successfully complete community control he is subject to an 18-month prison sentence.

In an unrelated case Frankie Phipps Jr. asked to be released from jail so he could go to jail somewhere else. The 30-year-old Phipps, who is currently charged with felony breaking and entering, was being held in the Crawford County jail on $10,000 bond.

Phipps requested he be given a personal recognizance bond so that he might do his jail time for a misdemeanor conviction in another county. Phipps request for bond reduction was granted.

Two people asked for and were granted their requests to be placed on the intervention in lieu of conviction program during Common Pleas Court hearings on Monday morning.

Both Kaneasha Dotson and Daniel Bloomfield entered guilty pleas to felony 5 drug possession charges. Both pleas will be held and dismissed if they successfully complete the intervention program.

Dotson, who is 23 and from Galion, admitted to being in possession of Vicodin. Bloomfield, who is 29 and from Bucyrus, admitted to having and using cocaine.

Dotson and Bloomfield will undergo drug and alcohol treatment as part of their intervention programs.