By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com

Three people managed to avoid prison Monday morning even though they pleaded guilty to felony charges in Crawford County Common Pleas Court. But Judge Sean Leuthold was not happy about having his hands tied by state-imposed sentencing guidelines and let it be known.

Maison Lovell pleaded guilty to counts of fourth-degree felony theft. The recommended sentence is five years of community control and restitution of $26,400 to the victim. Bond was continued at $250,000 as Lovell was returned to the county jail until a pre-sentence investigation could be completed.

Lovell was charged in connection with scams targeting the elderly. Two relatives, Mike Stanley and Jack Lovell Jr., have recently been convicted in Common Pleas Court on similar charges. Stanley was placed on community control for one year while Jack Lovell Jr. was sentenced to 12 months in prison.

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Brian Auck pleaded guilty to two counts of fourth-degree felony drug trafficking and one count of fifth-degree drug possession. The judge was visibly upset that Auck’s sentence could not include prison time as it now stands.

The recommended sentence, pending a pre-sentence investigation, includes five years on community control with the first 180 days in the county jail.

“If you were prison eligible, you would be going to prison for about three years right now,” Leuthold told Auck. The maximum sentence allowed is 48 months. “Mr. Auck, I’m going to give you some advice. If you give me a reason to not give you community control, I would be a very happy man. I will take advantage of it and send you to prison.”

The judge also had some words for Peggy Sue Lewis who was in court for sentencing after having previously pleaded guilty to felony drug possession.

“Ms. Lewis, behave yourself. I’ve put a lot of people in prison for violating community control. You don’t want to be one of those people.”

Lewis was placed on community control for five years and must complete an approved program of drug and alcohol counseling.