Burglar gets more prison time for probation violation

A man convicted of a local burglary several years ago now faces more prison time.

Timothy S. Stallings, 24, will serve 8 1/2 months in prison for a local probation violation after he finishes serving a three-year term for a Seneca County robbery. The defendant has been in the Lorain Correctional Institution since Feb. 1.

"This is his third robbery he's been convicted of," probation officer Jim Zappa told Huron County Common Pleas Judge Jim Conway.

Zappa was referring to the source of the defendant's probation violation -- a Nov. 24 incident at the Tiffin Walmart, which led to the Seneca County robbery conviction. Three officers responded to the shoplifting complaint in which Stallings had a pocket knife concealed in his coat sleeve.

Stallings denied resisting arrest, but explained to the judge how the knife ended up "breaking the skin" on the hand of one officer. Stallings said the officer grabbed his arm after the man asked him if he had anything sharp in his possession that might injure him.

"(The knife) poked through the end of my coat and poked his finger," he said.

Huron County Public Defender David Longo said the knife had a straight blade, which Stallings used to cut the packaging of the three video games he stole from Walmart.

In early January 2008, Stallings was sentenced to two years in prison for an attempted burglary. The conviction was for a Jan. 25, 2007 incident.

The defendant, who was released early from prison, completed a four- to six-month program in a community-based corrections facility, a form of prison which focuses on substance abuse treatment and education.

Stallings, while on probation through various courts, used or possessed marijuana on several occasions. He completed an out-patient substance abuse program after two marijuana-related incidents, Zappa told the court.

Conway imposed an 8 1/2-month prison term at the recommendation of the state; that's the amount of time left hanging over his head after Stalling originally was behind bars.

Although the judge and Longo credited Stallings for making "a good-faith effort" in turning his life around, Conway said it's obvious from the seriousness of the robbery charge Stallings hadn't learned his lesson while on probation.