Man guilty of obstructing justice in search for dog shooter

6/11/2014

An East Toledo man who lied to police searching for a man accused of shooting a dog entered an Alford plea today in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

Gary Crawford, 35, of 840 Utah St., was then found guilty by Judge Gene Zmuda of a misdemeanor charge of obstructing justice. A charge of intimidation was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit to committing a crime, but acknowledges evidence is sufficient for a conviction that could result in a more severe sentence.

Judge Zmuda sentenced him to 90 days at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio but gave him credit for 75 days he already has spent at the Lucas County jail.

Charges were filed against Mr. Crawford and his cousin, Marcus Crawford, 26, of 3324 Blackstone Dr., after a black-and-tan female German shepherd was shot in the 900 block of Clark Street in East Toledo March 24.

Marcus Crawford is still wanted by police on a felony warrant charging him with carrying a concealed weapon and having weapons under disability.

Brad Smith, an assistant Lucas County prosecutor, told the court today that when police were investigating the incident, they went to a Clark Street home in search of Marcus Crawford and were told by Gary Crawford that he was not there. Gary Crawford later told a witness that his cousin was in the basement at the time.

Although Gary Crawford initially was accused of threatening to shoot up the witness’s house, that charge was dismissed, Mr. Smith said, because the witness recanted her story.