A Richwood man could be facing more than four decades in prison after allegedly giving meth to three children.
The Union County Grand Jury has indicted Matthew R. Wurtsbaugh, 36, of 56 E. Bomford St., charging him with three counts of corrupting another with drugs, three counts of endangering children and one count of discharge of a firearm on or near a prohibited premises.
Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips called it “a very serious situation that could have had a very serious outcome.”
Phillips said that on Jan. 27, Wurtsbaugh was hanging out with three girls, all of them 12 years old at the time. The man gave the children what they told police was “a candy, like pop rocks.” According to court documents, the girls told police that Wurtsbaugh said the candy would give them energy.
Wurtsbaugh also allegedly allowed one of the girls to drive the car.
While the girl was driving, Wurtsbaugh allegedly pulled out a 9-mm handgun.
“He allegedly shot out of a car window while this was going on,” Phillips said.
The girls told police the shot was loud and hurt their ears.
The shot was loud enough for neighbors to hear it as well. One of those neighbors called 911 to report the shot coming from a silver, four-door vehicle. Police located the car and pulled it over. Investigators found a High Point 9-mm with a green, purple and pink painted grip.
The girls told police what happened and were taken to Memorial Hospital. Two of the girls tested positive for methamphetamine. The third girl tested negative. According to court documents, the third girl told police she “touched the substance to her lips, but ultimately did not consume” the candy. She told police she didn’t eat the candy because it didn’t taste right. She told investigators that Wurtsbaugh tried to give her similar candy several weeks earlier.
Phillips said he doesn’t know why Wurtsbaugh would give meth to the children or what his intent was.
“I don’t believe that it was accidental, him giving this to the girls,” Phillips said, explaining that Wurtsbaugh’s comment that the candy would give them energy indicates he knew it contained meth. Several of the charges against Wurtsbaugh carry longer prison sentences than normal and have mandatory prison time because he allegedly committed them while he had a gun. If convicted, Wurtsbaugh could face 42 and a half years in prison.
Also indicted was:
– Mona M. Goodson, 26, whose court-listed address is the Ohio Reformatory for Women. Goodson is charged with two counts of harassment with a bodily substance. According to court documents, on Dec. 1, Goodson caused a pair of corrections officers at the prison to come into contact with a bodily substance of hers.
Goodson was originally sent to prison in March of 2018 for two years on robbery and assault convictions in Franklin County. Since then, Goodson has been charged more than a dozen times for her behavior while at ORW. She has a history that includes throwing urine, spitting, punching, kicking, biting, smearing feces, pinching and throwing things at corrections officers and other inmates. She is not set to be released until April 2029. If convicted, Goodson’s sentence could be extended by another two years.
– Joshua Eugene Legge, 39, of Kenton. Legge is charged with one count of aggravated possession of drugs. According to court documents, at 10:15 p.m., Dec. 30, Legge was driving west on U.S. 33 in Paris Township when he was pulled over for allegedly not having a driver’s license. During a search of the vehicle, investigators found alleged methamphetamine.
If convicted, Legge could face as many as 12 months in prison.
– Brian Lee Allen, 48, of Urbana. Allen is charged with one count of aggravated possession of drugs, stemming from a Dec. 28 traffic stop. During a search of the vehicle, investigators found alleged methamphetamine. If convicted, Allen could face as many as 12 months in prison.
– James Robert Kiser, 37, of Columbus. Kiser is charged with one count of failure to appear. Kiser was due to report to officials on Feb. 2 in connection with a felony charge. If convicted, Kiser could face as many as 18 months in prison in addition to any time he is sentenced to for the original allegation.