BUCYRUS — Johnny Stephens, most recently of the Marion Correctional Institution in Marion, appeared in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on Monday to plead guilty to violating the terms and conditions of his community control for a second time.
In June 2018, Stephens, 37, was placed on five years of community control after he pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in drugs, a fourth-degree felony punishable with up to 18 months in prison.
In February, Stephens was sentenced to 18 months in prison after he violated the terms and conditions of his community control. He was granted judicial release in August.
According to allegations, he was cited in Marion on October 19 for driving a vehicle while under suspension and tested positive for meth and methamphetamines.
Common Pleas Judge Sean Leuthold told Stephens, “We tried.”
Leuthold reimposed the 18-month prison sentence. Stephens will receive credit for jail time served and Leuthold told Stephens he would not oppose transitional control if the prison requested it.
In other court action, Amanda Patrick, 31, of Galion pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of drugs, each a fourth-degree felony and each punishable with 18 months in prison, and one count of child endangerment, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable with up to 60 days in jail.
Leuthold told Patrick that since she wasn’t prison eligible. He sentenced her to five years of community control and time served in jail on the child endangering charge.
Patrick will have a total of 42 months to serve in prison if she fails to complete her community control.
“If I could, normally I’d send you to prison. You’d better behave yourself on community control,” Leuthold said.
Ricky Akers Jr., 34, of Galion will spend the next seven months in prison. Akers pleaded guilty to one count of possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony punishable with up to 12 months in prison.
Akers was ordered to forfeit all drug-related property to the Galion Police Department. He will receive credit for jail time served and Leuthold told Akers he would not oppose community control.
Matthew Hale, 39, of Mansfield pleaded guilty to one count of felony domestic violence, a fourth-degree felony punishable with up to 18 months in prison. Hale was placed on five years of community control.
Hale was ordered to receive anger management counseling and follow-up treatment and was instructed to have no contact with the victim .
“Look you are to have no direct or indirect contact with the victim,” Leuthold said. “You cannot have any contact unless I approve it. If you do, you’ll go to prison.”