By Jordan Studer and Gary Ogle
jstuder@wbcowqel.com; gogle@wbcowqel.com
Two men were sentenced to prison by Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold on Wednesday – one for what he did and the other for what he didn’t do.
Fifty-five-year-old Charles Gardner of Galion was brought to Crawford County Common Pleas Court Wednesday afternoon. Gardner’s charge was possession of drugs, drug abuse, and trafficking and drugs. Gardner pleaded guilty to all three charges. The possession and drug abuse charges are fifth-degree felonies and the drug trafficking charge is a third-degree felony.
No pre-sentence investigation was ordered by Judge Leuthold. Instead, the case went directly to sentencing of Gardner. The judge followed the recommended sentence of 12 months prison for each of the three charges. The sentences were ordered to be served consecutively for a total of 36 months..
Gardner was also fined $ 1,250 and given a six-month driver’s license suspension.
Twenty-nine-year-old Aaron Patterson of rural Bucyrus pleaded guilty to failure to register which is a fourth-degree felony. Patterson was sentenced to nine months in prison with an additional admonition from Leuthold: “There are strict rules that apply to you as a sex offender and you have got to follow them.”
When given the opportunity to speak, Patterson said he had worked hard by going to school and holding down a job. He pointed out he had been released early from a previous prison sentence and community control for good behavior. He added that he had hoped the matter could have been resolved without a prison sentence.
Leuthold said Patterson’s efforts were taken into consideration in the plea agreement when he was offered a nine-month sentence instead of the maximum 18.
Twenty-year-old Zachariah Zacharzuk of Galion appeared in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on a charge of possession of drugs.
Assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler read the recommended sentence of five years of community control with the defendant being subject to 12 months in prison should he fail to successfully complete the community control, a fine of $2,500 and a six-month driver’s license suspension.
Zacharzuk pleaded guilty. Judge Leuthold ordered that a pre-sentence investigation be ordered and that the bond be continued.
Twenty-nine-year-old Joshua Eldridge was brought to Crawford County Common Pleas Court with a charge of violation of protection order, fifth degree felony.
His recommended sentence included: five years of community control with 12 months in prison and possible post-release control for failure to complete community control. Also recommended was a fine of $ 2,500 and a driver’s license suspension of six months.
A pre-sentence investigation was ordered by Judge Leuthold and the bond was continued.
Forty-nine-year-old Paulette Cameron of Bucyrus appeared in Crawford County Common Pleas Court for possession of heroin. Another court date was set because of the fact that she allegedly committed another felony and there was no pre-sentence investigation agreed upon.
She did admit to possession of heroin. The bond was originally set at $200,000, but was ordered by Judge Leuthold to be increased to $250,000. Both sentences will be handed down on June 15, and there will be a change of plea then.
Three people made initial appearances Wednesday morning on charges they violated the terms of their community control.
Jessica Sargent is accused of failing to report as required and refusing a drug screen. Sargent’s bond was set at $150,000 and attorney Tim O’Leary was appointed to represent her.
Mitch Alberty is accused of violating his community control in lieu of a new charge of felony domestic violence filed in Hardin County. Bond for Alberty was set at $200,000 and Geoff Stoll was appointed as his attorney on the community control violation case.
Matthew Witten is charged with testing positive for cocaine while on community control. The judge set Witten’s bond at $250,000 and appointed O’Leary as Witten’s legal counsel in the matter.