GREENVILLE — Troy J. York, age 24, of Greenville, pleaded guilty to charges of attempted grand theft, a third-degree felony, in Darke County Common Pleas Court Friday afternoon.
The charge, which stems from an incident late last year in which York allegedly stole a firearm from the residence of his father-in-law, was amended from a charge of grand theft in accordance with an agreement between York and the Darke County prosecutor’s office.
According to a pre-sentencing report prepared by the Greenville Police Department, York’s previous record includes charges of theft, domestic violence and driving under suspension in Darke, Shelby, Wayne and Montgomery counties, as well as cocaine, marijuana, heroin and methamphetamine use.
After advising the defendant of his rights, Judge Jonathan P. Hein accepted York’s guilty plea. Assistant Prosecutor James Bennett indicated that, after consulting with the victim, his office would not be opposed to a community control sanction.
The victim, York’s father-in-law, asked to address the court before sentence was handed down.
“Had I known the severity of the charge, I never would have filed it,” he said. “I didn’t want Troy to be put away. I wanted him off drugs. I was worried about my grand babies, and I knew if he could get off drugs, he’d straighten out. When he’s not on drugs, you couldn’t ask for a better boy.”
York expressed remorse for his actions, saying his father’s recent death had driven him into a spiral of drug abuse and depression.
“Now that my father-in-law and I are best friends again, I’m ready to do the right thing,” York said. “I’m sorry for the hassle I gave Greenville P.D. this whole time. I don’t want to see my kids through a glass shield. It’s not worth it to me.”
“There’s an expected, known likelihood that your daughter, or your son-in-law, is going to relapse,” Hein told the victim. “Nobody wants that to happen, but it would be naive to think they won’t. So first, don’t be surprised, and second, understand that you have to get involved, and the best way to get involved is to not try to do it on your own.”
Hein said the best way to help the victim’s son-in-law would be by cooperating with county probation authorities.
“You’re a father, a stepfather and a grandpa, not a probation officer,” Hein said. “So whenever you think something smells wrong, letting a probation officer know about it makes a lot of sense. When people relapse, they don’t automatically go back to jail. But the longer they relapse, and the longer we don’t know about it, the harder it is to get back to a good place.”
Judge Hein sentenced York to 10 days in Darke County Jail with one day credit and work release privileges. York must also pay restitution in the amount of $171.60, perform 100 hours of community service, maintain employment and abstain from the use of alcohol or illegal drugs.
