By Kathy Laird, Crawford County Now Contributor
On Tuesday afternoon, Mark Morgan of Bucyrus was sentenced to ten years in prison after a competency hearing and a negotiated plea bargain. Dr. John Tilley, a Forensic Psychologist with Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare Hospital in Columbus, submitted a Psychological Evaluation to the courts concluding the Morgan was competent to stand trial.
Morgan was facing two ten-year sentences resulting from the commission of two robberies at Check-Into-Cash locations in Bucyrus and Galion. Although Morgan contended the gun was not real, Judge Sean Leuthold quickly reminded him that it did not matter.
“You put the public, law enforcement, and yourself in danger. This is all your fault,” Leuthold expressed.
The Judge went on to delve into what motivated him to commit the crimes. Morgan committed the robberies to supply drugs to his much younger girlfriend; an addict.
“It’s a terrible thing for someone to do,” said Leuthold, noting that older men take advantage of younger, addicted women and provide them drug money for sex, “in this case, karma came back like a boomerang on you and you ended up committing the crime.”
A tearful Morgan apologized to the court. Considering his remorse, and the fact that he had no prior convictions, Leuthold decided to run the two ten-year sentences concurrently instead of consecutively. He suggested Morgan use his time to improve his life noting that the fifty-four-year-old would have life left after the prison.
When Randall Allen came before the bench for sentencing for violating the conditions of Community Control Judge Leuthold said, “I was about to cut him a break and frankly I’ve been fooled a bit”.
After violating community control by testing positive for opiates on June 30, 2016, the probation department confiscated his cell phone and found messages that suggested he had been facilitating a drug deal. Judge Leuthold noted that he could have faced a new and separate charge for Facilitating a Drug Deal but the prosecution agreed not to pursue that charge in exchange for a guilty plea.
His original eighteen-month prison sentence was imposed but the Judge did agree to allow Transitional Control if the request to do so is made to him by the Department of Corrections.
Andrew Utter’s original eighteen-month prison sentence was imposed when he pleaded guilty to a community control violation. On July 6, 2017, Utter tested positive for cocaine and synthetic drugs.
“Mr. Utter, you’ve had a ton of chances. You’ve served in the military and I take that into great consideration. I go above and beyond for those who have served their country,” Leuthold expressed.
With imposition of the sentence Leuthold said he would approve early release if there was a treatment plan in place.
“I want to make sure our veterans get all the help they can. Good luck to you, Sir,” Leuthold said.
Sarah Thornton was sentenced on a plea agreement. Shaking his head in dismay, Judge Leuthold addressed Thornton: “You are in a tie for the shortest time in my ISAT program.”
Thornton violated her probation n June 21, 2016 when she tested positive for THC, cocaine, and an alcohol screen as part of the ISAT program. The probation violation carried a twelve-month sentence but because she violated probation, her original prison sentence of thirty months for the third degree felony of Tampering with Evidence was also imposed for a total of forty-two months in prison. The Judge chose to run the sentences consecutively.