By Krystal Smalley & Gary Ogle
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
gogle@wbcowqel.com
A criminal enterprise may have been a part of what brought a robbery charge against Tyler Owens, but it is also the reason he will not be paying any restitution in the case.
Owens, 25, of Bellville, pleaded guilty to felony 2 robbery in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Monday afternoon and received a four-year prison sentence along with a $5,000 fine. Restitution in the amount of $800 was part of the original plea agreement, but Judge Sean Leuthold did away with that part of Owens’ punishment in light of the facts in the case – and what the money could potentially be used for later.
“Quite frankly, and I don’t mean to insult you, this is two ne’re-do-wells who got in a fight over drugs,” Leuthold stated.
According to the judge, Owens, while at the victim’s home, pushed down Charlie Neff and stole his marijuana. Defense attorney Jim Mayer added that with video evidence in the case, the agreement was in his client’s best interest.
“Mr. Neff is well known for engaging in criminal behavior,” Leuthold added. “It’s hard to feel sorry for Mr. Neff when you’re selling drugs.”
Leuthold noted with pride the steps the court takes to protect victims, but he refused to label Neff a complete victim in the case.
“He had a large hand in this situation,” Leuthold said of Neff as he struck the restitution from the agreement. The judge argued that the money could later be used to once again fund Neff’s “criminal enterprise.”
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William Strohm pleaded guilty to the illegal conveyance of drugs onto a detention facility, a third-degree felony. The 31-year-old Tiro man received a 30-month prison sentence and must forfeit drug-related property to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.
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Adam Riley’s drug possession ran the entire gamut of the local justice system and ended in a prison sentence. The case was filed in early 2013 and Riley was initially placed on the intervention in lieu program. When that was revoked, he was placed on five years of community control.
Monday he admitted to violating the terms of community control as a result of his overdose episode with heroin. Leuthold sentenced the 26-year-old Bucyrus resident to nine months in prison.
Forty-four-year-old Christopher Bunker failed to make the most of an opportunity provided by the justice system and as a result is headed back to prison. Bunker admitted that he had failed a drug screen while on probation. Bunker was sentenced to four years in prison in 2013, but received an early judicial release.
Leuthold sentenced Bunker to serve the remainder of the original four-year prison sentence. He will be subject to mandatory post-release control.
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Sarah Brown pleaded guilty to felony 4 grand theft and felony 5 theft and was placed on the court’s Diversion Program with the blessing of the victims who are in hopes of being compensated for their loss.
Brown, age 44, is ordered to pay $28,085.17 in restitution. She worked as an apartment manager at the time the incidents occurred and the residents were the victims.