By Kathy Laird
Brice Ison appeared before Crawford County Common Plea Court Judge Sean Leuthold on Wednesday to change his plea on charges of corrupting another with drugs. Ison shared a marijuana cigarette with an 11-year-old girl. When the juvenile’s mother found out, she contacted police.
Noting that he “wished to God”, he could send Ison to prison, Leuthold set strong stipulations on his sentence of five years of community control. He asked Ison if he had any children and Ison indicated that he had a one-and-a-half-year-old child at home where he resides with the child’s mother.
Leuthold shook his head and said, “You don’t live there anymore. You cannot be in the presence of any children right now, even your own. I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you. You have to live somewhere else.”
Leuthold explained the dangers of all drugs, including marijuana that can be laced with the dangerous additive fentanyl.
“We’ve had cases as close as Columbus where kids have touched this substance and died when it soaked into their skin,” Leuthold said. “This is not going to happen here if I can help it.”
Leuthold asked the defendant what he was thinking giving marijuana to an 11-year-old.
Ison responded, “I have searched my soul and I can find no excuse for what I did.”
Leuthold replied, “Instead of soul searching, how about searching for your soul? I’m going to be watching you. You are now prison eligible. If you mess this up I will send you to the State Penitentiary. Do you understand?”
Ison replied, “I deserve it.”
Leuthold sentenced Ison to 90 days in jail and five years of community control. Ison will be given credit for time served.
A previous version of this article included the reported guilty plea of a woman charged with aggravated burglary. Due to the incorrect identification of the woman, that section of the article has been removed.