By Gary Ogle and Krystal Smalley
gogle@wbcowqel.com; ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Three of the people who entered the Crawford County Common Pleas courtroom on Monday left heading to prison, two at least in part because of violating probation and the third for nearly five years.
Judge Sean Leuthold may have sentenced Dylan Tingle to consecutive prison sentences totaling four years and 11 months, but he didn’t write the young man off as a lost cause.
Twenty-three-year-old Tingle, of Gibsonton, Fla., pleaded guilty to felony 2 burglary and to a bill of information for felony 5 theft in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Monday afternoon.
“Mr. Tingle, I think you’re a guy who has a lot of potential,” Leuthold said before remarking on his recent behavior. “Breaking into people’s houses . . . life’s gone wrong for you.”
Leuthold believed drugs were a motivating factor for Tingle – the young man admitted to using heroin for the past three years.
“Drug addiction explains the behavior, it doesn’t excuse the behavior,” Leuthold said.
The judge sentenced Tingle to four years in prison for the burglary charge and 11 months on the sentences which will be served consecutively for a total of four years and 11 months in prison. Upon release, Tingle will be placed on mandatory post-release control for three years.
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Leuthold handed down consecutive nine-month sentences to Tonya Evans, one for violating probation and the other for a new felony charge of identity fraud. Evans was also ordered to pay restitution in both cases. Evans’ probation violation was the result of a positive drug test for cocaine.
The judge told Evans there were plenty of programs in prison and an abundance of people in Crawford County who were willing to assist her and give her a second chance when she was released from prison. However, he also had a warning for her.
“This is a very kind community,” Leuthold said. “But don’t mistake our kindness for weakness.”
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Willie Grier was sentenced to 10 months in prison for violating probation. Grier was on probation following a 2013 conviction for receiving stolen property.
“No drugs, no crime,” the judge told Grier. “That’s how it is in Crawford County.”
Grier admitted to failing to report to his probation officer while living in Mississippi, failing to report a change of address and refusing to take a drug screen.