Leonard sentenced to jail on probation violation

HARTINGTON — Former Randolph resident Jerad Leonard was sentenced in District Court Friday to additional jail time for a parole violation. District Court Judge James Kube sentenced Leonard to a 180-day sentence in the Cedar County jail with credit for 44 days already served in this matter. Leonard must also pay court costs and probation fees to date. Leonard admitted to the parole violation at the start of Friday’s court proceedings, Judge James Kube then asked for some background on the case before he imposed his sentence. Cedar County Special Prosecutor Ed Matney said Leonard was ordered to stay away from drugs as part of his probation. Leonard broke his probation by using methamphetamine three times in August. He was also in contact with a person accused of attempting to sell a controlled substance and failed to begin a court-ordered education and rehabilitation program. Leonard was originally convicted of a Third Degree Felony Assault charge for assaulting and attempting to strangle his girlfriend and the mother of their child “These problems all seem to revolve around the use of meth,” Matney said. Matney said the only resolution is now a sentence of incarceration. “We were hopeful this was a resolution that would get him on track, unfortunately the defendant is back,” Matney said. “The more time he spends in an incarceration setting, the more it will help him in his effort to break his addiction Judge Kube agreed with Matney’s assessment. “Aside from what you’ve been convicted of, it’s obvious you have an issue with meth. Until you get meth out of your life you are going to have trouble — you just are,” Kube said. Leonard is currently incarcerated in Wayne County on a federal warrant for drugs.