Todd Hill

Reporter

BUCYRUS - A Bucyrus woman is headed to prison for less than a year after pleading guilty Wednesday to mixing crack cocaine with red Kool-Aid and shooting it up.

Samantha Dyer, 28, was arrested around noon on Christmas Eve last year in the 900 block of South Walnut Street, where the Crawford County Sheriff's Office and Bucyrus Police Department had tracked her down on a warrant for a parole violation stemming from an earlier theft charge.

In addition to locating Dyer, authorities found crack cocaine, syringes and other drug paraphernalia in her possession. Dyer made the admission to mixing the crack and Kool-Aid, and was charged with drug possession, a fifth-degree felony.

Crawford County Municipal Court Judge Shane Leuthold had some harsh words for Dyer when he set her bond at $500,000 shortly after Christmas.

"In August you appeared in front of me, and based on your appearance it was apparent to me that you had a drug problem," he told her at that time, adding that she had been advised last summer to enter a drug-treatment program, which she failed to do.

"You look 100 times worse now than you did last August. You look like a damn trainwreck. I believe you tried to kill yourself, unintentionally. You're not going to die on my watch," the judge said.

Wednesday was Dyer's day before his brother, Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold, who accepted her plea of guilty to the drug-possession charge and sentenced her to eight months in prison.

"When you get out, do you plan on coming back to Crawford County?" he asked her. Dyer answered yes.

"I've done everything I can to show that this is not the county to get into drugs. If you go back into drugs, you will likely get the same result," the judge said.

Dyer wasn't the only person appearing before Leuthold on Wednesday to run out of chances.

Logan S. Temple, 24, of rural Crawford County, was in court for a parole violation after testing positive for cocaine use, and was sentenced to 12 months in prison. Temple had been in the court's Intensive Supervision and Treatment Program, but Leuthold said Temple "had his opportunity squandered."

Also in court to answer for a parole violation was a Stephanie L. Arbogast, 23, of Galion, stemming from a 2013 arrest for drug possession. Arbogast had earlier gotten treatment in lieu of conviction, followed by a parole term, but on Wednesday she too was sentenced to 12 months in prison.

Leuthold was, however, somewhat lenient with Michael K. Brown, 58, of Bucyrus, in court Wednesday to be sentenced on a conviction for drug possession, a fifth-degree felony, involving the taking of two Percocet pills.

Brown, dressed in a suit and tie, stood up before the judge and attempted to explain himself.

"I'm trying to do the right thing, this was just one of those unfortunate incidents. I'm not a troublemaker. I really am trying to better myself," he said.

His attorney, Tom Nicholson, acknowledged that Brown has an extensive criminal record, but that most of his offenses were committed 15 to 20 years ago.

"For someone who's not a troublemaker, you're in a lot of trouble," Leuthold said.

"This is a tough call. I could give you the maximum sentence just based on your record. But it was two pills, there was no violence, and you seem sincere."

Leuthold sentenced Brown to 45 days in the county jail and five years probation.

thill3@nncogannett.com

419-563-9225

Twitter: @ToddHillMNJ