BUCYRUS — Steven Gallant of Bucyrus appeared in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on Monday to change his plea on 16 different charges.
Gallant, 64, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of having weapons under disability, each third-degree felonies punishable by up to 36 months in prison on each count; one count of illegal cultivation of marijuana, a second-degree felony punishable by up to eight years in prison; one count of receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony punishable by up to 18 months in prison; one count of possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony punishable by up to 12 months in prison; and one count of illegal use of marijuana or paraphernalia, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail.
Gallant was represented by Mansfield attorney Jaceda Blazef and Common Pleas Judge Sean Leuthold accepted the plea agreement reached between the state and the defense.
“This is one of many similar cases I’ve seen recently of elderly men getting into selling marijuana,” Leuthold said. “This was not a big-time drug operation, but Mr. Gallant was trading weapons and such for drugs, in this case marijuana.”
Gallant was placed on community control and ordered to forfeit all drug-related property to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department. He was also ordered to serve six months in jail.
“Mr. Gallant, you have over 20 years in prison hanging over your head. I’d better not catch you selling drugs or having any firearms ever again,” Leuthold said. “It stops today. Otherwise I’ll send you to prison. Do you understand?”
Gallant indicated he understood and then began asking for special considerations during his jail time including a thick mattress to ease his back.
“Who do I look like to you, Mr. Gallant? I am the judge of the Common Pleas Court and it is not my job to handle your special requests,” Leuthold said. “I don’t care how much money you have on your commissary, if you have a toothbrush or how thick your damn mattress is!”
Leuthold ordered Gallant to report to the Crawford County Jail on March 25 by 7 p.m. to begin his six months in jail.
In other court action, Sean Osborne, 42, of Woodbury, Tennessee was placed on the prosecutor’s Intervention in Lieu of Conviction program. Osborne pleaded guilty to possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony punishable by up to 12 months in prison. If Osborne successfully completes the program his felony conviction will be dismissed.
Carrie Ann Hoffman, 45, of Galion appeared in court to waive her right to extradition. Hoffman, who was recently sentenced in Crawford County had an outstanding warrant in Kentucky.
Hoffman agreed to extradition to Kentucky to answer charges there. Leuthold told Hoffman that Kentucky has ten business days to pick her up from the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department.
“You’ve signed the extradition paperwork and now they have ten business days to come and get you,” Leuthold said. “If after ten days they do not pick you up, I will bring you back into this court and set bond. We don’t let people languish waiting to be transported.”