By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Fifth-degree felonies sent two men to prison Tuesday, but they took different routes to get there.
Thirty-year-old Adam Young, of Bucyrus, pleaded guilty to breaking and entering and received an 11-month prison sentence in Crawford County Common Pleas Court. A charge of possessing criminal tools was dismissed in exchange for the guilty plea. Young must also pay restitution to American Shoe Service in an amount to be determined.
Young pleaded guilty to breaking and entering in 2015 and served nine months in prison for the crime. Before that he served 11 months in prison for drug possession in 2010 and 10 months in 2009 for receiving stolen property.
Golden Wilson violated his community control for a second time – which occurred while he was waiting for a bed in a community-based correctional facility.
The 36-year-old Galion man admitted that he failed to report to his supervising officer as instructed, consumed alcohol, and had a blood alcohol level of .278.
“If I leave Mr. Wilson out, he’s going to drink himself to death,” said Judge Sean Leuthold. “There’s not a question in my mind.”
Leuthold sentenced Wilson to nine months in prison.
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Two other men pleaded guilty to their respective charges and received community control.
Twenty-six-year-old Joseph Wagner, of Bucyrus, pleaded guilty to felony 2 felonious assault. Mitigating factors, however, led to Leuthold handing down a light sentence.
“There’s no question in my mind Mr. Wagner is struggling with some learning disabilities,” Leuthold said.
The judge noted Wagner’s numerous health issues, his psychiatric hospitalizations, anti-psychotic medications, and his history of mental health issues. Leuthold also referenced the difficulties Wagner faced while housed in the county jail, including severe bullying and an assault by Gage Ruth, another inmate who was sentenced to prison Feb. 23 for the crime.
Leuthold said Wagner was an “absolute magnet” for exploitation, but also believed he should be held culpable for his crime.
“It is a violent crime,” assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler said. “I know that the victim is appreciative of the result.”
“This is truly a mental illness out of control,” added defense attorney Adam Stone.
While Wagner thanked the judge and Stone for their help, Leuthold admitted he was taken aback by the massive amount of learning disabilities and health issues Wagner faces.
“Life hasn’t been good to you,” Leuthold acknowledged before tearing into Wagner for his stint in devil worshiping. “The devil is not going to do a damn thing to you. Here’s who you should be afraid of: me. Stop worrying about the devil and start worrying about me.”
Leuthold ordered Wagner to serve five years on community control and enter into a locked-down community-based correctional facility program.
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Twenty-six-year-old Sean Haverty, of Marietta, pleaded guilty to possessing heroin, a fifth-degree felony. Haverty, who was not prison eligible, was placed on community control for five years and ordered to pay a $1,250 fine.
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Sheree Pfeifer had another go-round with community control violations. Pfeifer, 24, admitted to failing to report to drug tests administered by Maryhaven and failing to comply with the court’s Intensive Supervision and Treatment Program (ISAT). She was ordered to a six-month community-based correctional facility program, but will be kept in the county jail until a bed opens.
“This was a close call,” Leuthold told Pfeifer. “I’m not going to tolerate anything else.”
Pfeifer pleaded guilty to drug possession and two counts of drug trafficking in 2015. She was sentenced to 36 months in prison, but served just under a year of that before being granted judicial release. Nine months after being placed on probation, she violated the program and served 43 days in jail before being placed in the ISAT program.
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Though two Galion men were granted judicial release, Leuthold testily said they should hold a contest to find out which one would return to prison first. Forty-nine-year-old Steven Beale and 51-year-old Scott Fearn both pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and received 18-month prison sentences.
The pair served only a very small portion of their sentences and Leuthold believed they would soon return to finish off the rest.
“Every single OVI guy I’ve let out has been sent back to prison,” Leuthold said. “Let’s have a contest. Let’s see who can stay out of prison longest.”
Beale and Fearn were both placed on five years of community control with the stipulation that they complete a drug and alcohol assessment and any follow-up treatment.
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