Men receive sentencing for various drug charges

Seven of the 20 people indicted on multiple drug charges in November have been sentenced in Mercer County Common Pleas Court. Five of the men face prison sentences while the other two received community control sanctions.

Of the remaining individuals indicted, one was deported back to his Mexican homeland while the whereabouts of the other is unknown. The remaining individuals have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing or their cases remain involved in court proceedings.

Judge Jeffrey Ingraham recently imposed the following sentences:

• Brit A. Cassada Jr., 52, of Sidney, was ordered to serve up to three years supervision after pleading guilty to three counts of trafficking in the prescription drug Diazepam. The state dismissed one additional count during plea negotiations.

Other terms of his community control sanctions include 90 days in jail to be served upon notice from his probation officer, a 12-month operator's license suspension and $890 restitution. Defense attorney Louis J. Schiavone also requested community service through the Mercer County or Shelby County adult probation office.

• Alberto Cervantes, 34, 209 Washington St., Celina, received consecutive prison terms after pleading guilty to drug-related charges. He was sentenced to 11 months in prison on one count of trafficking in cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, and 16 months on another count of trafficking in methamphetamine, a fourth-degree felony.

His operator's license was suspended for a period of two years but no fine was imposed due to an affidavit of indigency filed on his behalf. Additionally, he received credit for 87 days already served.

• Charles D. "Ryan" Hawkey, 20, 319 Leona St., Celina, was remanded to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for a period of three years after pleading guilty to three counts of trafficking in marijuana. He received sentences of 10 months, 10 months and 16 months, with the time to be served consecutively. Ingraham extended credit for 85 days already served.
  The sentence also includes $205 in restitution and a 12-month operator's license suspension. Ingraham also noted the defendant might be deemed eligible for the WORTH Center in Lima at some point.

Hawkey told the court he wished he had quit selling drugs when he found employment as a machinist and subsequently sought counseling as a means of addressing his problems.

• Trey Huber, 24, 608 S. Wayne St., St. Marys, was ordered to serve 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to offenses involving a counterfeit controlled substance, a fifth-degree felony.

He received 11 days credit for time already served. Also included in the sentence was a six-month operator's license suspension and $350 restitution.

• Anthony L. Petaway, 29, 819 South St., Celina, received concurrent prison terms after pleading guilty to a trio of drug-related charges.

He received four years in prison on two counts of trafficking in crack cocaine in the vicinity of a juvenile and an amended count of trafficking in crack cocaine, all third-degree felonies with credit for 80 days already served.

The judge waived a mandatory fine but imposed $760 restitution as well as a six-month operator's license suspension on each charge. He also ordered the firearm in Petaway's possession at the time of arrest be forfeited.

• William Curtis Pleasant, 22, of Sidney, is headed to the ODRC after pleading guilty to two drug-related charges. He received 10 months for trafficking in drugs, a fifth-degree felony, and a one-year sentence on an amended count of trafficking in drugs, a third-degree felony. The original charge was a first-degree felony given the amount of drugs involved. The sentences are to be served concurrently.

The judge also imposed a mandatory $5,000 fine, suspended his operator's license for six months and granted 59 days credit for time already served.

The offenses, which occurred in February and April 2007, involved marijuana and Oxycodone.

• James Tinsley, 52, of Fort Wayne, Ind., appeared for sentencing on one count of trafficking in drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Terms of CCS imposed include up to three years basic supervision, a six-month operator's license suspension and $1,250 in restitution. The judge also ordered 90 days in jail to be served upon notice from his probation office. This is typically done in the event of a violation.

The investigation was conducted by the Grand Lake Task Force and involved offenses dating back to January 2007. The task force is comprised of personnel from sheriff's offices in Mercer and Auglaize counties as well as representatives of police departments in both counties.