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Masonic Temple vandal headed to jail
Published 9:56am Thursday, July 19, 2012Will serve time in county facility
A year in jail was the sentence for an Ironton man who admitted to vandalizing the Ironton Masonic Temple in June.
Dallas M. Roberson, 22, 404 N. Second St. Apt. A, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree counts of breaking and entering and vandalism Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.
Judge Charles Cooper sentenced Roberson to 12 months in the Lawrence County Jail for each count, to be served concurrently. Cooper also ordered him to pay $1,000 in restitution to each victim in the case, the Masonic Temple and New Beginnings, a tenant in the building.
Before sentencing, Roberson apologized to the court and the victims.
“What I did was wrong,” Roberson said. “I would like to apologize to you and to New Beginnings and the Masonic Lodge. I am very sorry.”
Roberson was represented by attorney Mike Gleichauf.
Roberson was arrested in June after the Ironton Masonic Lodge, at 109 N. Third St., was broken into.
Windows on the second and third floors of the building were smashed and office doors were broken into. Also, the area was covered with powder from fire extinguishers.
New Beginnings, a tenant in the building, reported the incident. A Compaq laptop computer, a black lock box with more than $8,000 in checks, $30 in cash and food stamp cards, were reported stolen from the business.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Brigham Anderson said there are four others, two adult and two juveniles, to be prosecuted in the case.
In other cases:
• Gary Thomas, 42, of 904 Fourth St. East, South Point, was sentenced for second-degree aggravated trafficking in drugs, which was cocaine. Thomas previously pleaded guilty through his attorney, Luke Styer.
Cooper sentenced Thomas to five years in prison, suspended his driver’s license for two years and ordered him to forfeit $1,215 and three firearms that were confiscated when he was arrested.
• Kerry Coleman, 27, of 317 Mulberry St., Ironton, pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree assault on a police officer through his attorney, Scott Evans.
Cooper sentenced Coleman to four years of community-controlled sanctions under intensive supervised probation and ordered him to serve six months in jail.
• Brandon Cooper, 23, of 95 Private Drive County Road 26, Ironton, denied a CCS violation through his attorney, Scott Evans.
Cooper scheduled a trial for July 25.
“I,m sorry’ blah, blah, blah. Something his attorney told him to say no doubt. Obviously he knew exactly what he was doing, knew it was wrong, and yet, did it anyway. Sorry? What BS. I hope the county packs him in a 3×3 cell with five other people for the duration of one year and I certainly do not think one year was anywhere near enough.
On another note – I recently spoke to a counselor at a state prison. He indicated that getting people off most drugs is doable, except meth. One time use and they are hooked on meth. Meth heads are so obsessed with the drug that they have no conscience and will do just about anything to get their hands on it. I was told that other inmates avoid them because they are considered to be so dangerous – people with no conscience are unpredictable.
The counselor also indicated that putting an ankle bracelet on these meth lunatics and putting them back out in the community is dangerous and absolutely not effective. The chance of them getting off meth permanently is literally zero.
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