Miami County judge: ‘A bunch of things … unraveled in his life’

TROY — A Darke County man already serving nearly 13 years in prison for a series of thefts and breaking and enterings in several area counties pleaded guilty Monday to one felony charge and was sentenced in Miami County Common Pleas Court.

Jason D. Amspaugh, 32, of Union City, was arrested in Celina in January after police received a report of a suspicious person at a car dealership. Police said they searched the area and found a man, later identified as Amspaugh, in a truck believed to have been involved in multiple crimes in the area.

Police said he attempted to flee but was apprehended a short time later. He faced more than 50 charges in Mercer County before later pleading to 21 counts.

He pleaded earlier this summer to multiple charges in Mercer and Auglaize counties and is serving 12 years and eight months in prison on those charges.

The Miami County charge involved a Dec. 20 incident investigated by the sheriff’s department. Amspaugh pleaded guilty and was sentenced Monday to 11 months in prison, concurrent to the terms already being served, as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.

Defense lawyer Andrew Pratt of Troy said Amspaugh had no criminal record until age 30. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer at age 30 and subsequently became addicted to drugs, Pratt said.

What followed was a series of thefts and burglaries of businesses when they were closed. When ultimately apprehended, Amspaugh admitted his crimes and cooperated fully with investigators, Pratt said.

“He had a bunch of things that unraveled in his life,” Pratt said, adding that during the same time Amspaugh and his significant other also lost their home to a fire. “He led a law-abiding life for many years. I think the sentence he already is serving more than adequately punishes him.”

Amspaugh said drugs “altered” his mind. “I started doing things I would never do. I feel terrible for what I did,” he said before sentencing.

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