Ohio man who struck, killed niece gets 25-year sentence
CINCINNATI (AP) — An Ohio man who told police he lost his temper before striking his two young nieces last year, killing one of the girls and critically injuring her younger sister, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports 20-year-old Recardo Woods, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and felonious assault charges before sentencing Friday in Hamilton County. He faced aggravated murder and murder charges.
Woods’ attorney and prosecutors agreed to the lengthy sentence.
Authorities say Woods assaulted 15-month-old Kassidy Smith and her 4-year-old sister, Korri, while babysitting them last April. Kassidy later died from what a coroner said was blunt-force head trauma. Korri was hospitalized for head injuries and a broken rib.
A message seeking comment was left with Woods’ attorney.
Man sentenced to prison for $3M life insurance scheme
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A man accused of laundering nearly $3 million in a life insurance scheme involving a sick and obese relative has been sentenced in Columbus.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports 55-year-old Mitch Stevenson, of Mason, received 43 months in federal prison Thursday and was ordered to pay $2.9 million in restitution. Stevenson, his wife, and adult daughter pleaded guilty last summer to a money-laundering conspiracy charge.
A message seeking comment was left with Stevenson’s attorney Friday.
Prosecutors say Stevenson bought life insurance policies on a relative he claimed was healthy, weighed 170 pounds and earned $133,000 a year. The relative was actually ill, weighed more than 400 pounds and was jobless. The family collected on the policies after the relative died.
Patricia Stevenson and daughter Candace received two years’ probation in December.
Police arrest man who crashed into house, caused explosion
VERMILION, Ohio (AP) — Police have arrested a man who they say crashed his car into a gas meter and set off a house explosion in Ohio.
Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth says authorities located the 56-year-old man Thursday afternoon in a vacant house about one mile away from the explosion in Vermilion.
Sigsworth says the man drove his SUV off the road around 3:30 a.m. Thursday and struck a home’s gas meter, breaking the gas line and causing the home to explode.
The family living in the home was able to escape just before the blast, which knocked a sheriff’s deputy several feet across the yard.
The deputy was hospitalized and released for minor injuries.
Sigsworth says the home “is just devastated.”
The driver is facing multiple charges.
Student admits bringing loaded handgun to city school
HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio high school student has admitted bringing a loaded gun to school.
The 16-year-old boy appeared in Butler County Juvenile Court this week on felony charges of illegal conveyance of a deadly weapon at school and receiving stolen property. The Dayton Daily News reports Hamilton police say he brought a loaded .25-caliber handgun to a city school Dec. 19.
The juvenile court administrator said the boy pleaded true to the illegal conveyance charge and the receiving stolen property charge was dismissed. Administrator Rob Clevenger said a true plea is the equivalent of a guilty plea in adult court.
The judge sentenced the teen to the county’s Juvenile Rehabilitation Center, which includes a program that takes about five months to complete. He will be on probation after his release.
