Warren man sent to prison for 6 years

By Peter H. Milliken

The firefighter was fired due to the drug activity in his house.

YOUNGSTOWN — The man who shot a city firefighter in the firefighter’s East Side residence last fall has been sentenced to six years in prison.

Stefin Gantt, 21, of Warren, drew the sentence Wednesday from Judge Timothy E. Franken of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Gantt shot off-duty firefighter Andre Johnson, 26, in the face, stomach and leg Nov. 14 in Johnson’s North Fruit Street residence. Police said they believe Gantt was at Johnson’s house to buy drugs.

During the struggle in Johnson’s basement, Gantt’s right ear was likely bitten or cut off, and he suffered a gunshot wound to his left forearm, police said.

Gantt’s sentence is nonappealable because it was agreed upon by the prosecution and defense and adopted by the judge. He’ll get credit for the 292 days he has already been jailed.

The sentence will consist of three years each for felonious assault and illegal gun possession to be served concurrently and three consecutive years for the gun specification attached to the felonious-assault charge.

Gantt had pleaded guilty to those charges in July, and Ross Smith, assistant county prosecutor, agreed to drop an aggravated-robbery charge against him.

Gantt’s lawyer, Terry Grenga, said she didn’t believe her client went to Johnson’s house to rob him. A robber wouldn’t leave a firearm, drugs and money behind at the scene, Grenga said.

Gantt owed Johnson $500 and went to Johnson’s home to discuss that debt, she said.

“Two people could have lost their lives over something as silly as marijuana,” the apologetic Gantt told the judge.

Judge Franken said the incident arose from “guns, drugs and stupidity.”

Johnson was indicted on felony marijuana possession and drug-trafficking charges after police said they found a pound of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a loaded handgun in Johnson’s residence.

The prosecution dropped the trafficking charge and reduced the possession charge to a misdemeanor charge of attempted possession, to which Johnson pleaded guilty.

Johnson, who now resides in Encino, Calif., was placed on six months of nonreporting probation on the condition that he not appeal his termination from the fire department, which fired him over the incident.

The city fired him because of what it called his “apparent participation in, or acquiescence to, illegal drug activity” in his home.