By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
A Sycamore man will be serving the balance of a nine-year prison sentence after admitting to probation violations in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Thursday afternoon.
Twenty-eight-year-old Devon Decker admitted that he failed to follow up with his substance abuse treatment and tested positive for marijuana, cocaine, and opiates in February. Decker, who served seven of his nine-year prison sentence on two counts of aggravated robbery, pleaded with the judge to place him in a treatment program for his addiction.
“We just did and he didn’t do it,” Judge Sean Leuthold said.
“I never received help,” claimed Decker, who admitted to being a longtime drug addict.
Leuthold looked at Decker in disbelief after the defendant made that claim then proceeded to ask Decker whether he took advantage of drug treatment programs in prison. Decker could not respond with a clear answer.
“When I let you out of prison, I talked to you a long time,” Leuthold said to Decker. “I don’t think I have a choice in this case.”
The judge re-imposed the original nine-year prison sentence.
Twenty-six-year-old Darren Conley, of Galion, appeared in court for an initial hearing on community control violations. Conley allegedly changed his address without permission, failed to report to office visits, and refused to submit to a random drug screen once arrested on a bench warrant.
Assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler noted this was the second time Conley violated his probation and the second time a warrant needed to be issued for his arrest.
Leuthold set bond at $150,000 and appointed Andrew Motter as Conley’s attorney.
Conley served time for a 2009 burglary conviction, but had been on community control for a subsequent weapons under disability charge.
RELATED CONTENT: Three receive prison sentences, a fourth could also | Man sent to prison for probation violations
Though Coden Pollock was sentenced to maximum prison sentences, he was granted judicial release after serving less than three months behind bars. The 36-year-old Bucyrus man will remain in the county jail, however, until he can be placed in a community-based correctional facility.
“We are at the end of the line. You mess this up, you’re done,” Leuthold warned Pollock.
Pollock pleaded guilty to felony 3 burglary and felony 5 vandalism in January and received 36- and 12-month prison sentences, respectively.
RELATED CONTENT: Judge tells defendant: ‘Reality is here, I am reality’ | Man accused of threatening CVS with bomb given $1 million bond