YOUNGSTOWN City man pleads guilty to drug, weapon charges

Police say crack cocaine fell out of the man's pants leg.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Terrell Leonard pleaded guilty Wednesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to drug and weapon charges.
Judge Maureen A. Cronin sentenced him to two years in prison.
The plea came just as the 23-year-old Norwood Avenue man was about to go on trial for charges of cocaine possession, carrying a concealed weapon and illegal possession of a weapon.
A jury had been selected, but was not yet sworn in, and no witnesses had been called, Judge Cronin said.
According to court documents, city police stopped Leonard's car on Foster Street in June because of excessively loud music.
When Leonard got out of his car for questioning, he started to run. He was caught a short time later and handcuffed. During a pat-down search, about 100 small plastic bags were found in his left pants pocket, court records say.
When officers searched Leonard's car, they found a loaded 9mm handgun in the glove compartment.
The officers then searched Leonard a second time, during which a plastic bag of crack cocaine fell out of his right pants leg.
Leonard was already on probation for a previous drug offense. Immediately after his sentencing by Judge Cronin, he was sentenced by Judge Robert Lisotto to an additional 18 months in prison for violating terms of his probation.
The two sentences are to be served consecutively.
bjackson@vindy.com