By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Two people each received 18-month prison sentences in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Tuesday.
Forty-three-year-old Shane Shipley, of Galion, entered a guilty plea to felony 4 theft. Judge Sean Leuthold sentenced Shipley to 18 months in prison and ordered him to pay $35,251.33 in restitution to Fairview Cemetery.
According to assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler, Shipley was a groundskeeper at Fairview Cemetery and, over a period of time, sold gravesites without depositing the money.
“This has been a pretty extraordinary loss to the cemetery board,” Hoovler said, adding that the board wanted “swift and severe punishment.”
“I am deeply apologetic to the board and the individuals this was against,” Shipley stated. He later added that he wanted to get his sentence over with quickly in order to get started on paying the restitution.
“The cemetery board gave you a chance even with your bad record,” Leuthold said. “The defendant used his position to take advantage of this.”
Though Shipley received the maximum sentence, he could apply for judicial release after a period of time. Leuthold cautioned, however, that the only reason he would consider this option was to see the restitution paid.
“I’m not cutting you a break unless I know it’s going to benefit them,” the judge added.
Thirty-nine-year-old Paula Blankenship, of Bucyrus, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a fourth-degree felony. She also received the maximum penalty of 18 months in prison in addition to a five-year driver’s license suspension, a $3,000 fine, and entrance into a drug and alcohol treatment program.
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