By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
The Crawford County Prosecutor’s Office wrapped up its first round of “mob fight” cases Wednesday afternoon.
Twenty-one-year-old Tahshawn Jones, of Bucyrus, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of fourth-degree felony burglary and admitted to violating his community control on a 2015 drug possession case.
Jones’ case marked the third time this week that Judge Sean Leuthold and the prosecutor’s office dealt with the “mob fight,” as the judge termed it. The incident occurred on February 18 when a group of people walked to a Failor Street house to take revenge on a person for beating up another. Part of the group entered the home to start a fight and serious injuries resulted from the incident, including one man being stabbed.
Though Jones’ actions that day rose to the felony level, the prosecutor’s office later determined that it did not constitute a first-degree aggravated burglary charge and agreed to amend it to felony 4 burglary in exchange for a guilty plea.
“This is definitely felony behavior as far as the state is concerned,” noted Leuthold.
The judge sentenced Jones to the maximum 18 months in prison for the burglary charge, which will be served consecutively to the nine months Jones will have to serve for violating his probation. The defendant admitted to committing burglary and testing positive for alcohol on a urinalysis. Jones must also pay restitution in an amount to be determined.
Kaylee Clark had a much different sentence than Jones, her co-defendant, though it mirrored the punishment handed out to co-defendant Brianna Thoman on Monday. The 19-year-old Bucyrus woman avoided 11 years in prison and a first-degree felony by pleading guilty to criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct, both fourth-degree misdemeanors. Clark was sentenced to 60 days in the county jail and fined $250.
“From our point of view she was in the melee,” said assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler.
“My client’s role in all this,” argued defense attorney Adam Stone, “ultimately what she was trying to do was stop (the fight).”
“Sure,” Leuthold replied dryly. “Even you can’t keep a straight face with me. Good try.”
Though the judge did not believe Stone’s spin on Clark’s role in the fight, he did feel Clark had enough time to turn around and go home.
“You had plenty of time to figure out how stupid all this was,” Leuthold told Clark. “The bottom line is do you realize how close you came to a major felony? Getting involved in this nonsense . . . is how you get drug down with them.”
An emotional Clark admitted she had been drinking and not thinking about her actions.
“I’m chewing you out because I don’t want you back here again,” Leuthold said. “This isn’t the life you have to lead.”
The third co-defendant, Brianna Thoman, pleaded guilty on Monday to the same charges as Clark and also received 60 days in the county jail.
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