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PRATHER |
A Bellefontaine man said Monday he got back into the drug lifestyle to get others off drugs.
Despite 54-year-old John Prather’s pleas that he was trying to help others and comments by his church family that he is not a serious harm to society when he is properly medicated, 10 prior felony convictions were too much for Judge Mark S. O’Connor to overlook when passing sentence.
Mr. Prather was ordered to spend 11 months in prison for a single trafficking cocaine charge.
“He told me he did what he did to gain street credibility to help with the heroin problem,” defense attorney Peter DeSomma said. “As wacky as that sounds, that is what is going on in his brain.”
Mr. Prather echoed those thoughts in his own comments to the judge, in which he said he returned to Bellefontaine after getting clean in Cleveland. He said he saw encouragement by his church family as a sign that he should go out and help.
“Being a person of the street, they asked me to help, but I didn’t want to go through (Bellefontaine police),” Mr. Prather said. “I went out to the streets. But judge, I did not harm one hair on one person’s head when I was here in Logan County.”
His plan, however, ended in not only the cocaine charge that stems from an undercover operation conducted by the Logan County Joint Drug Task Force on July 16 but a litany of other misdemeanors for disturbing the peace that have mostly been dismissed.
The most recent charge came within a week of his plea to the current charge when visiting Judge Roger Wilson agreed to allow him a furlough from jail to tend to an eye problem. He was arrested Feb. 5 outside the 309 N. Main St. Community Markets store wearing boxing gloves and threatening employees, patrons and neighbors.
“He’s a nice person and would do anything for you as long as he’s on his medication, but once he gets on that other stuff he loses control,” the Rev. Frank McCullough said on Mr. Prather’s behalf.
In handing down the prison sentence, Judge O’Connor cited 10 prior felony convictions and noted many of them came while Mr. Prather was on community control for other crimes.
Robbery suspect pleads guilty
Christopher Fry, 27, of Jackson Center, pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony count of robbery for attacking a man outside Captain’s Point, 305 E. Harrison St., Lakeview, in the early morning hours of Sept. 6.
Deputies of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office arrested him after Shawn Howell reported from the emergency room of Mary Rutan Hospital that he was struck from behind by an unidentified man and Mr. Fry began punching, kicking and stomping his head while demanding money.
Mr. Fry will be sentenced April 11.
Mother, son admit resisting arrest
A mother and son originally charged for assaulting an officer of the Washington Township Police Department entered pleas to second-degree misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest.
Officers responded Sept. 25 to a domestic dispute at 8989 Crescent St., Orchard Island, Lakeview, reported by members of the island’s neighborhood watch.
Vicki Carnes, 51, and her son Brandon Whitt, 29, were both questioned about the incident and during that process officers learned of an outstanding warrant for Mr. Whitt’s arrest.
The son fought arrest attempts and the mother reportedly joined the struggle, deliberately poking one officer in the eye.
Mr. Whitt, who is already serving a prison sentence on other charges, was immediately sentenced to 90 days in jail with 47 suspended.
A presentence investigation was ordered for Ms. Carnes and sentencing was set for April 11.
The felony assault on an officer charges were dismissed in exchange for the pleas.
Intervention granted
Norman McClain Jr., 21, of Bellefontaine, was placed on intervention in lieu of conviction for a single count of possession of hashish.
A container with more than half an ounce of a highly concentrated cannabis oil was found inside a refrigerator while officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department stood by Aug. 11 as a girlfriend retrieved items from their shared 212 S. Main St. apartment during a separation. Water pipes and other paraphernalia for smoking marijuana were also found in the home.
Mr. McClain must complete substance abuse counseling with intensive outpatient services as part of the three-year intervention program.
• Bryan Litton, 45, of Lakeview, was placed on intervention for possession of cocaine stemming from an Aug. 15 arrest in which cocaine was found inside a folded dollar and as residue in a straw during booking at the Logan County Jail.