Area man gets prison on drug count

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A Grover Hill man was sentenced to prison on a drug charge during hearings held Wednesday in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Ricky Girod, 51, was sentenced to 24 months in prison on one count of illegal manufacturing of drugs, a felony of the third degree. Judge Charles D. Steele ordered the sentence to run concurrently with a six-year prison term Girod received in Paulding County.

Also sentenced on Wednesday was Andrew Thomas, 31, of Ohio City, who was given 180 days in jail on a charge of attempted breaking and entering, a misdemeanor of the first degree. Thomas was also given credit for two days already served.

Katie Zimmerman, 27, of Van Wert, was given three years of community control on a charge of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Zimmerman’s license was also suspended for six months.

Five people also made plea changes on Wednesday. They include:

Lester Sulfridge Jr., 54, of Van Wert, pleaded guilty to a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The charge was downgraded from a third-degree felony from a felony of the third degree in exchange for Sulfridge’s guilty plea. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, September 4.

Jason Kremer, 29, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty on a charge of trafficking in drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. He was originally charged with three counts of drug trafficking, all felonies of the fourth degree. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing scheduled for 9 a.m. September 4.

Eva Leiendecker, 27, of Venedocia, entered a guilty plea to three counts of harassment by an inmate, each a felony of the fifth degree. Two other counts of the same charge were dismissed in exchange for her guilty plea. A presentence investigation will be conducted and Leiendecker will appear for sentencing at 9 a.m. September 4.

Austin Coyne, 20, of Convoy, changed his plea to guilty on a charge of attempted breaking and entering, a first-degree misdemeanor that was downgraded from a fifth-degree felony count of breaking and entering. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing set for 9 a.m. Wednesday August 14.

Landon Grayless, 30, of Fort Wayne, Ind., entered a plea of guilty to possession of heroin, a felony of the fifth degree. A presentence investigation was also ordered in the case and sentencing scheduled for 9 a.m. September 4.

Also Wednesday, Paul Susralski, 48, of Van Wert, signed a waiver of his Constitutional right to a speedy trial. Susralski, who is charged with several child pornography-related charges, will have a new trial date set in his case.