By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Judge Sean Leuthold handed down six prison sentences Thursday afternoon in Crawford County Common Pleas Court.
The longest prison sentence went to Fredrick Miller, who attempted to have his bond reduced just a few days prior to his change of plea. The 36-year-old Galion man pleaded guilty to an amended charge of felony four burglary and felony four safecracking.
Miller, who was emotional when he first walked into the courtroom, said he realized he needed to be careful in picking his friends.
“I’ve tried to uphold the law to the best of my ability. I’m regretful that I’m leaving,” Miller said. “I hope when all this is over with I can take care of my family like I need to.”
Though Leuthold believed Miller was sincere in his remarks, the judge was skeptical of Miller’s future.
“The problem is not when you’re sitting right here feeling bad things,” Leuthold said. “The problem is when you get out and it’s five or six months down the road.”
Leuthold questioned whether Miller would once again slip back into his old habits.
“You made some terrible choices. You’ve done some God-awful things” Leuthold said. “Here’s your chance to prove what you said.”
Leuthold sentenced Miller to 18 months in prison on each felony for a total of 36 months in prison. Miller will also have to pay a $5,000 and restitution that will be determined at a later date.
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Danielle Gaston and Destiny Thomas may have spent 60 days at the Crawford County Justice Center, but they’ll spend an even longer time in prison after violating their community control.
Twenty-one-year-old Thomas and 18-year-old Gaston both pleaded guilty to forgery, a fifth-degree felony, in December and November, respectively. The pair were part of the Detroit quartet that were suspected of passing counterfeiting bills in October.
Their quick return to the Crawford County justice system came as a result of similar troubles in Michigan. Gaston admitted to smoking marijuana and associating with Thomas, a convicted felon, without permission from her parole officer. Thomas, meanwhile, admitted to testing positive for benzodiazepines, being arrested by Canton (Michigan) police without informing her parole officer, and associating with Gaston.
“You seem like such a nice person,” Leuthold told Gaston, and later expressed similar sentiments to Thomas. “I can’t believe you’re the mastermind behind this (counterfeiting).”
Leuthold told Thomas that he believed someone else convinced the pair to take part in the counterfeiting.
“When you get out of prison, don’t fall for this stuff,” Leuthold suggested to the pair. “You’re just mixed up with the wrong crowd.”
Leuthold sentenced both women to nine months in prison with credit for roughly 60 days spent in the county jail.
The other two co-defendants in the counterfeiting case, Damon Blocker and Keair Key, were both sentenced in December to six months in prison for forgery.
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Thirty-eight-year-old William Blackert Jr.’s most recent blunder had Judge Leuthold shaking his head in exasperation.
“You’re a smart guy, you’re an intelligent guy. How you keep getting yourself in this stuff I have no idea,” said Leuthold, who had represented Blackert numerous times before becoming a judge.
Blackert, of Bucyrus, pleaded guilty to a failure to comply, a third-degree felony, and received a 24-month prison sentence and a lifetime driver’s license suspension.
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Twenty-five-year-old Laken Stallings of Fostoria pleaded guilty to possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. She was sentenced to nine months in prison, fined $1,250, and ordered to forfeit seized drug-related property to the Bucyrus Police Department. Her driver’s license was also suspended for six months.
“I don’t take any pleasure in doing this but, bottom line is, this is the wrong county to be doing this,” Leuthold chastised.
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Thirty-seven-year-old Thomas Wells of New Haven pleaded guilty to drug possession, a fifth-degree felony, and received an eight-month prison sentence. As part of the agreed sentence, he received a six-month driver’s license suspension and a $1,250 fine. He was also ordered to forfeit seized drug-related property to the Bucyrus Police Department.
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