By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Prison sentences were almost a common theme for the people appearing before Judge Sean Leuthold in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Tuesday afternoon. Of the nine people scheduled for hearings Tuesday, five of them were sentenced to prison while another one will be spending a significant amount of time in the Crawford County Justice Center.
Twenty-six-year-old Cory Musselman of Bucyrus thought he would never but drug tested but Judge Leuthold quickly disabused him of that notion.
Musselman, who was placed on community control in 2014 for robbery, admitted to violating his probation when he attempted to alter his urine, admitted to using heroin and marijuana, and tested positive for cocaine. The violations all occurred on Dec. 9.
“What did you think was going to happen?” Leuthold asked Musselman.
“I guess I didn’t think I was going to get drug tested,” Musselman replied.
“You were involved in some pretty ridiculous stuff,” Leuthold reminded Musselman. “You want to go back to drugs and crime, I’ll be more than happy to send you to prison.”
Musselman’s admittance of the violations landed him 30 months in prison.
RELATED CONTENT: Robbery co-defendant pleads to amended charges | Nineteen people arraigned in Common Pleas Court
Shena Belcher will have two years to think about how she will change her life. That’s how much time the 27-year-old Bucyrus woman will be spending in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking in counterfeit drugs and trafficking in drugs, both fifth-degree felonies.
“The hope has always been with her that she’ll leave this lifestyle behind,” commented her attorney, James Mayer III. Mayer said he has served as Belcher’s counsel for a number of years but this was the first time he believed she actually wanted to change.
“You’ve had an opportunity to change but you haven’t done so,” said Judge Leuthold, who admitted that he did not have a lot of faith in Belcher doing so on her own. “I’m going to change it. I’m going to change you from being free to being incarcerated.”
Belcher was sentenced to 12 months in prison on each count, which will be served consecutively for a total of 24 months. She must pay a $1,250 fine and forfeit drug-related property being held to the Bucyrus Police Department. Belcher’s driver’s license was also suspended for six months.
RELATED CONTENT: Bucyrus man found innocent of drug charge now faces 5 more
The meetings between Judge Leuthold and Joseph McDaniel II have come at important times in both men’s lives but Tuesday marked a tipping point for the two.
Twenty-six-year-old McDaniel was the first person Leuthold had in Galion Municipal Court when he took the bench eight years ago. At the time, McDaniel was busted for selling marijuana out of the Duke and Duchess bathroom, Leuthold remembered.
The two ran into each other again just one month after Leuthold became the Common Pleas Court judge. McDaniel was in court for violating his community control. Though Leuthold was just beginning to make his mark and crack down on violators, he chose to continue McDaniel on community control rather than send him to prison, believing McDaniel was already taking steps to change his life.
Ten months later, Leuthold realized McDaniel squandered the opportunities he offered the man. McDaniel admitted to violating his community control again when his urine tested positive for cocaine and morphine, and admitted to using cocaine and heroin in November.
Leuthold sentenced McDaniel to prison for 11 months.
RELATED CONTENT: Judge calls photos from purse snatching ‘shocking, despicable’ | Bench warrant issued for mother of newborn
Twenty-one-year-old Briona Rose of Bucyrus returned to Common Pleas Court for violating her community control. She admitted to possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia on Dec. 9 and received a 10-month prison sentence.
“Ms. Rose, we gave you every opportunity and it looks like you didn’t take advantage of it,” Leuthold said.
RELATED CONTENT: ‘Spread the word – this is the wrong county to be selling drugs’ | Two arrested in drug bust arraigned, bond set at $1 million each |
Twenty-six-year-old Theodore Britt of Galion was sentenced to seven months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Britt must also pay a $1,250 fine, forfeit seized drug-related property to the Galion Police Department, and his driver’s license was suspended for six months.
RELATED CONTENT: Crestline police officer arraigned on felony charge, misdemeanors
Despite a terrible misdemeanor record and numerous offenses spread across Crawford and Marion counties, 29-year-old Heath Davis of Crestline still managed to avoid any serious prison time.
“By the luck of the Ohio legislature, Mr. Davis is not prison eligible. If you were prison eligible, that’s where you’d be going,” stated Judge Leuthold. “This whole thing cries out for a prison sentence.”
Leuthold added that Davis’ record demonstrates that the Crestline man would most likely not be successful on community control.
Davis pleaded guilty to one count of theft and three counts of misuse of credit cards, all classified as fifth-degree felonies.
Leuthold sentenced Davis to five years of community control with the special condition that Davis spends the first nine months in the county jail, the longest jail sentence Leuthold said he has ever handed down as part of a special condition. Davis must also pay a $750 fine and $337.56 in restitution to the victim in the case.
If he fails on community control, Davis could face up to 48 months in prison.
RELATED CONTENT: Woman sentenced to prison but might be home for Christmas | Bucyrus man found innocent of drug charge now faces 5 more
Leuthold set bond at $200,000 for 48-year-old Terry Hunter after hearing allegations that the Tiro man violated his community control. Hunter, who was placed on probation in 2013 for theft, allegedly attempted to alter his urine during a drug screen and tested positive for Oxycodone on Dec. 9. He also allegedly failed to report to office visits with his supervising officer and failed to attend his substance abuse counseling. Geoffrey Stoll was appointed as his attorney.
RELATED CONTENT: Three out early on judicial release
Judge Leuthold reduced Brandon Kualaau’s bond to a personal recognizance bond. The 23-year-old Mansfield man’s bond was set at $50,000 two weeks ago when he was arraigned on a fifth-degree felony drug possession charge. Kualaau was pulled over for a traffic stop on Oct. 4 and police allegedly found three cubes of LSD in his possession.
“We’re seeing LSD pop up quite a bit, Your Honor, especially in Crestline,” assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler commented on the drug allegedly found.
RELATED CONTENT: One defendant rejects plea deal, another goes to prison