BUCYRUS — A telephone hearing conducted in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday resulted in a ruling on the bond revocation of former Crawford County Sheriff Corrections officer, Jason Tupps.
Tupps, 44, of Galion was taken into custody after a bench warrant was issued Dec. 17 by Judge Robert Pollex, former Wood County judge, who is presiding over the Tupps case.
Tupps is facing multiple charges including improper handling of a firearm, a fourth-degree felony punishable with up to 18 months in prison; abduction, a third-degree felony punishable with up to 36 months in prison; driving while under the influence of alcohol, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable with up to 180 days in jail; using a weapon while intoxicated, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable with up to 180 days in jail; aggravated menacing, a first-degree minor misdemeanor punishable with up to 180 days in jail; and assured clear distance a minor misdemeanor.
According to allegations, a woman allegedly crashed into Tupps’ vehicle at the Crawford-Morrow County line in July 2018. Tupps followed the female driver and convinced the woman to exit her vehicle. Tupps held her at gunpoint and called 911.
When Galion police responded to the call, they arrested Tupps on suspicion of DUI and transported him to the Crawford County Detention Center. Tupps was placed on administrative leave but subsequently resigned his position.
Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold and Crawford County Prosecutors recused themselves from the case. It is now being prosecuted by special prosecutor Margaret Tomaro, a former JAG attorney who has been with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office since 2012. The case is being tried by Judge Pollex who has served on the bench for more than 30 years.
Pollex granted a motion to continue bond filed by Tupps’ attorney James Mayer III of Mansfield. The judge also ordered Tupps to be placed on a SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor) bracelet. He will be required to report weekly for follow-up testing to his supervising officer, Eric Bohach.
Tupps was ordered into custody after he failed a routine screening for alcohol and then failed to report for a follow-up visit after the violation.