BUCYRUS — Gillis Riedel of Tiffin was arrested in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Tuesday after he was suspected of using meth amphetamines and being under the influence of alcohol.
The circumstances that brought Riedel to court were the result of a recent family vacation. Riedel, 19, was placed on five years of community control in 2019 after he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of drugs, each a fifth-degree felony and each punishable with up to one year in prison.
Riedel’s family had planned a vacation to North Carolina and the court gave him permission to go on the vacation to Sunset Beach. According to probation officer Eric Bohach, while on vacation, Riedel was charged with two counts of physical assault after he assaulted both his father and his girlfriend.
“I didn’t want to cheat him out of a family vacation. I guess I should have,” Leuthold said. “Here we are now with not one but two charges in North Carolina and he’s actively using drugs. To top it all off, he’s sitting in my courtroom wearing a souvenir hoodie from his vacation! ”
Leuthold found probable cause to set the matter for a full hearing. Riedel was taken into custody. Bond was set at $250,000. Attorney Ed Bibler was appointed to represent Riedel.
In other court action, Amanda Perkins, 34, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to one count of theft and one count of forgery each, fifth-degree felonies and each punishable with up to one year in prison.
In a plea negotiation, Leuthold sentenced Perkins to three years on community control. She was ordered to pay the Crossway Assembly of God Church in Galion restitution in the amount of $2307.50.
“I know you live in Columbus, but you still answer to me regardless of where you live,” Leuthold said. “Get this restitution paid right away.”
Anthony Hickman, 27, of Galion pleaded guilty to violating the terms and conditions of his community control.
Hickman spent six months in county jail in 2019 and was placed on five years of community control after he pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in drugs, each fifth-degree felonies and each punishable with up to one year in prison.
According to probation officer Kylie Sinclair, Hickman was taken into custody in late May after he tested positive for both fentanyl and cocaine during a routine drug screen.
In a plea negotiation, Leuthold sentenced Hickman to seven months in prison on each count for a total of 14 months in prison. He will receive credit for jail time serve. Leuthold said he would not oppose transitional control if the prison requested it.