New sentence reduces Canfield man’s jail time

The judge vacated a six-year prison term she had previously imposed.

YOUNGSTOWN – A Canfield man, who pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, will serve 44 days in Mahoning County jail before he begins five years of probation, and he’ll have to register annually as a sex offender and report any change of address for the next 10 years.

Judge Maureen A. Sweeney, of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, imposed this sentence Monday on Paul J. Snyder, 51, of Jamison Place, who was charged with having sexual relations between 2001 and 2004 with an Austintown girl, who was between ages 13 and 15. The girl told authorities that Snyder, a real estate salesman, engaged in sexual activity with her in various Mahoning Valley houses that were for sale.

Based on an agreement between Robert Bush, assistant Mahoning County prosecutor, and Snyder’s lawyer, John B. Juhasz, the judge approved Snyder’s request to withdraw his guilty plea to the four counts, then vacated the six-year state prison sentence she had imposed on him Jan. 5 before she imposed the new sentence.

New terms

Under the new sentence, Judge Sweeney imposed a six-month jail term, but gave Snyder credit for the 136 days he’s already been locked up, leaving 44 days to be served in county jail. Snyder’s probation will begin when he leaves jail July 5. Snyder had been serving time at the Madison Correctional Institution in London, Ohio.

Juhasz had asked the judge to let Snyder withdraw his Oct. 11 guilty plea on the grounds that, in imposing the six-year sentence, Judge Sweeney didn’t fulfill a commitment she had made to adhere to the plea agreement between the prosecution and the defense. Therefore, Juhasz argued, Snyder’s plea wasn’t voluntary, and Snyder was a victim of “manifest injustice.”

Under the Oct. 11 plea agreement, Dawn Krueger, assistant county prosecutor, recommended a three-year prison term and said she didn’t object to judicial release eligibility after 30 days. Under the six-year sentence the judge vacated Monday, Snyder would not have been eligible for judicial release for five years.