Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge D. Scott Bowling Wednesday handed out a 10-month prison sentence to an Ironton man who failed to complete a rehabilitation program at the STAR Community Justice Center and therefore violated his community control sanctions, otherwise known as probation.

Billy Ray Monroe, 48, of 1406 S. Ninth St., Ironton, told Bowling he went to STAR “under the assumption” he would get help for an alcohol problem but found the STAR staff were trying to modify his behavior, something he said he didn’t need. Monroe said he was on different kinds of medications and wasn’t in the “right frame of mind half the time” but that he did try to make STAR work for him.

“Yes, I (urinated) in some guy’s bed but they said I was a liar and I wasn’t,” Monroe told Bowling. “I don’t see why they kicked me out over that when others did a lot worse. Yes I did horseplay but others did what I did and didn’t get wrote (sic) up for it. I apologize if I offended anybody.” He told Bowling he did not think he deserved to go to prison. He offered the judge a letter from his wife asking that Monroe be spared penitentiary time.

Assistant Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson noted Monroe’s record contained “12 separate and distinct violations of STAR rules” when he asked that Monroe be sent to prison.

“He’s not amenable to community control sanctions,” Anderson said.

Monroe was on probation because he pleaded guilty last year to breaking and entering.

In another probation violation case, Michael Graybeal, 24, of 7022 Beech Drive, Huntington, W.Va., admitted he violated his probation by failing to report and, once apprehended, testing positive for marijuana use. Bowling sentenced him to eight months in prison. Graybeal was on probation after pleading guilty to charges of receiving stolen property.

(CORRECTION: It was reported that Graybeal had originally pleaded guilty to another charge in addition to receiving stolen property. This was incorrect as all other charges were dropped in December 2011. We regret the error and are happy to correct it.)

Also Wednesday, Stanley Sharp, 45, of 2545 County Road 15, South Point, pleaded guilty to one count of failure to notify authorities of a change in address. Sharp is a registered sex offender and must notify the sheriff’s office within seven days anytime he changes his address or other pertinent personal information.

Authorities contend Sharp had moved in with his girlfriend and had not notified authorities of this. A woman who attended the hearing spoke up from the gallery and told Bowling she had moved in with Sharp instead of having him living in with her.

Bowling sentenced Sharp to 30 days in jail, gave him credit for time served and placed him on four years community control sanctions under intensive supervised probation (CCS/ISP). Sharp must also perform 200 hours of community service.