Adult was in juvenile custody in Ohio

CLEVELAND (AP) — Authorities say a man spent nearly three years in juvenile correctional facilities in Ohio before authorities discovered he’d been an adult all along.

Prosecutors in Cleveland say Kareem Ali Nadir Jones was actually 19 in 2006 when he was arrested in the Columbus area on drug charges and claimed he was 16. He was transferred this year to Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland.

He’s accused of stealing the identity of a childhood friend to avoid being prosecuted as an adult. Jones is now 22.

He was indicted last month on charges of identity fraud, tampering with records and theft. The theft count refers to the cost of housing him for 92 days as a juvenile in Cuyahoga County.

Jones has pleaded not guilty to the charges.