Guilty plea results in probation for gun holder at baseball game

By Elise Franco

The former Austintowner said he pleaded guilty to put the matter behind him.

AUSTINTOWN — A township man accused of pulling a handgun at a baseball game pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated menacing, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Dallas Lough, 64, formerly of Westchester Drive, appeared Wednesday afternoon before Judge David D’Apolito in Mahoning County Area Court.

He told Judge D’Apolito that he decided to waive his right to a jury trial, after meeting with his attorney, David A. Mascio.

Lough was accused of pulling a handgun on a 36-year-old Struthers baseball coach after a verbal confrontation during a June 10 game at Koch’s Baseball Complex on North Raccoon Road.

He told police he did show the gun, which he had a permit for, to the coach. But he maintained that he never pulled it from his waistband.

Lough said he’d never brought his firearm to the baseball field before, and wouldn’t have had it with him that day if he had known he’d be attending his grandson’s game.

He said the game was tentative due to wet weather, and he was walking his dog when he received the call that the game would be played.

“I put the dog inside and jumped in my car,” Lough said. “I didn’t even feel it on me, or I would have let it behind,” he said of the weapon.

Judge D’Apolito sentenced Lough to pay a $250 court fee and serve 90 days in Mahoning County Jail. The jail sentence was waived, however, and Lough will serve six months’ probation.

Judge D’Apolito said during that time, Lough will not be permitted to go to Koch’s Baseball Complex and will have to hand over his firearm to the Austintown Police Department as contraband.

Lough, who moved to West Virginia several months ago, said he is satisfied with the judge’s ruling.

He said he moved out of Austintown, where he’s lived and worked for decades, because of the incident.

“I’d never been in trouble for anything before all of this happened,” Lough said.

He said he entered the guilty plea instead of going to trial because he wanted the process to end.

“I just wanted it to be over with. I get stuck coming up here from West Virginia, and I am thinking about it all the time,” he said. “I decided to put it behind me.”

efranco@vindy.com