By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
A woman in jail in a neighboring county was sentenced to prison Wednesday for violating community control. Another person accused of probation violations was warned he was “hanging by a thread.”
A stroke of a pen was all the warning one young man needed to make sure he stayed within the boundaries set by Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold.
Twenty-one-year-old Jordan Noel appeared in court to plead guilty to an amended charge of felony four aggravated assault and to violating his community control.
Noel was sentenced to three years in prison in 2013 for burglary and aggravated assault but only served four months before being granted judicial release.
“You seem to be doing everything in your power to go back to prison,” Leuthold said to Noel.
Leuthold warned Noel that all it took to send him back to prison was a stroke of Leuthold’s pen to paper. “I’m this close to doing it,” Leuthold said. “I haven’t made up my mind.
Noel pleaded guilty Wednesday to aggravated assault and received five years on community control. He must also undergo an anger management treatment program and pay $28,369.24 in restitution to Tyler Miller for injuries sustained from the Oct. 15 assault.
Noel also admitted to violating the terms of his community control when he assaulted Miller and when he failed to report to his office visits in September. His community control was continued and extended to five years.
“He is hanging by a thread,” Leuthold warned Noel’s lawyer, Tim O’Leary. He added that there would be no more judicial releases for Noel.
Twenty-four-year-old Jessica Cains was sentenced to 18 months in prison after violating her community control.
Cains, who had to be transported in from the Wyandot County Jail where she is currently serving time, admitted to altering her urine for a drug test and to possessing opiates, oxycodone, marijuana, and benzodiazepines.
“Ms. Cains, I take community control very seriously,” Leuthold said. “If you can’t abide by the terms of you community control, I’m going to send you to prison.”
Cains received nine months on a 2010 drug possession charge and another nine months on a 2012 theft charge. The two sentences will be served consecutively for a total of 18 months.
Twenty-seven-year-old Jessica Sargent of Galion had pleaded guilty to felony drug possession on Feb. 25 and returned for sentencing Wednesday. Sargent was sentenced to five years on community control with the condition that she complete a drug and alcohol treatment program. Leuthold also ordered her to be entered into the court’s intensive supervision and treatment program. Her driver’s license was suspended for six months. She must pay a $1,250 mandatory drug fine as well as forfeit any drug-related property currently being held to the Galion Police Department.
Blake Whitt was arraigned on two drug possession charges and was appointed attorney Tim O’Leary. Assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler requested that Whitt’s bond be set at $75,000. He explained that Whitt not only had drug charges but Hoovler believed Whitt, who had been a witness in his father’s, Jared Slagle, trial at the beginning of the month, had not been truthful in his testimony.