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Area men sentenced in court

LISBON — David L. Todd, a Lisbon man who made a shank in the county jail, was sentenced to six months in prison by Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge C. Ashley Pike on Monday.

Todd’s lengthy history was noted in court, as well as the fact he was incarcerated for an assault charge at the time he was charged in this case. Pike said he found the fact Todd was in the jail and attempting to build his own weapon “disturbing.”

Todd was among four men sentenced in Pike’s courtroom on Monday:

— Robert P. Blake II, 29, Hillcrest Road, Wellsville, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for two counts of theft and a count of vandalism. Blake was involved in stealing electric cable belonging to Billson Towing Inc. on Oct. 29 and Oct. 31, property that was valued in excess of $1,000.

Blake’s defense attorney Fred Naragon said Blake was willing to make restitution and asked for consideration in placing him on community control.

“I was not in the right state of mind when I did it,” Blake said. “I was trying to get caught up on child support and that is what led up to it.”

— Thomas A. Taylor Jr., 25, Michigan Avenue, East Liverpool, was sentenced to nine months in prison using deception to obtain a dangerous drug. Taylor was responsible for picking up and signing for a prescription for 180 tablets of percocet from a Rite Aid pharmacy in East Liverpool, when he knew the prescription had been forged.

Assistant County Prosecutor Tammie Riley Jones said Taylor has been working in conjunction with a co-defendant when he committed the crime and was on probation at that time for another offense. Additionally, she said Taylor has been unsuccessful on probation in the past. His defense attorney, Richard Hura, said Taylor has been maintaining employment and has been a productive member of society since high school.

After sentencing Taylor to nine months, Pike warned Taylor that it would be “foolish” to spend the rest of his life living this way.

— Ryan L. Pritt, 35, Lisbon Street, East Liverpool, was placed on five years community control for possession of drugs. Pritt had cocaine, along with $256, which he had told police he planned to use to purchase heroin on Oct. 30, 2015.

Jones said Pritt has pleaded to a felony plea agreement, which was reached between his defense attorney Hura and Chief Assistant County Prosecutor John Gamble. The plea agreement included a recommendation for community control, because of a lack of prior serious criminal record for Pritt. However, on Monday, Pritt appeared in custody and said it was due to a public intoxication charge, a misdemeanor, in East Liverpool.

“I’m sorry you had to see me this way,” Pritt said to Pike while explaining his orange jail uniform.

While Pike said he would go along with the sentencing recommendations, including the state legislation which tells judges they should only place someone on community control for their first fifth-degree felony, Pike said he would send Pritt to prison should he fail to successfully complete his community control.

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