Written by Aidan Creager
(BGSU criminal justice major working with BG Independent News)
Fentanyl trafficker sentenced to 3 years in prison
Kentajashis M. Russell, 27, of Detroit, was sentenced on Aug. 26 to three years in prison for trafficking fentanyl. The case stemmed from an incident in November 2019, and the legal proceedings have just concluded.
Russell was indicted on Nov. 5, 2020, but failed to appear for his arraignment. A nationwide warrant was issued on Nov. 16, 2020, and he was eventually apprehended on Jan. 9, 2024. He appeared in court on Jan. 22, 2024, where he faced the charges. After a series of pretrial hearings, Russell pleaded guilty on July 11, 2024.
Wood County Common Pleas Judge Mary “Molly” Mack presided over the sentencing in Courtroom 2. Trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound is a third-degree felony, a serious offense that typically results in prison time. According to the indictment, Russell knowingly prepared a fentanyl-related compound weighing between 50 and 100 grams for shipment. In addition to the prison sentence, the charge carries a $5,000 fine.
Weston man sentenced to 11 years in prison for rape
Daniel Stump, 44, of Weston, was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to rape on Sept. 3. Stump is already serving an eight-year sentence for a prior rape conviction. The new sentence will be served consecutively with his current prison term.
Stump was indicted by a grand jury on three counts of rape, all first-degree felonies, for incidents that allegedly took place between Oct. 1, 2022, and Jan. 14, 2023. The charges stem from accusations that Stump took advantage of the victim. As part of a plea agreement, two of the rape charges were dropped in exchange for his guilty plea to one count. Stump must register as a Tier III sexual offender.
Sycamore woman sentenced for drug trafficking
Christina Leimgruber, 39, of Sycamore, pled guilty to trafficking in a fentanyl-related substance and trafficking in heroin on Sept. 3, as part of a plea agreement. In exchange for her guilty plea, three additional charges were dismissed.
Leimgruber is already serving time at Ohio’s Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio, for a separate failure-to-comply conviction. As a result of her guilty plea, she was sentenced to an additional six months in prison, to be served consecutively to her current sentence.
