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4 men found guilty in June ’08 beating of Austintown man
Perry Sr. was the ringleader, said an assistant county prosecutor.
YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County prosecutor’s office has recommended 30 days in jail and probation for four men accused of severely beating an Austintown man in Campbell nearly a year ago.
The four — Joseph R. Perry Sr., 62, of Tenney Avenue, Campbell, his son, Joseph Jr., 40, of Peters Drive, Campbell, Mark A. Ziemianski, 26, of South Navarre Street, Austintown, and James C. Riley III, 25, of Harold Lane in Campbell — all pleaded no contest and were found guilty of various charges Tuesday by Judge Lou A. D’Apolito of common pleas court.
All four pleaded no contest to felonious assault. The Perrys also pleaded no contest to aggravated burglary.
Judge D’Apolito dismissed kidnapping charges against all four upon the recommendation of Kasey Shidel, an assistant county prosecutor, as part of plea-bargained agreements.
As part of their plea agreement, the prosecutor’s office also dismissed aggravated-burglary charges against Ziemianski and Riley.
They will be sentenced later after completion of a presentence investigation and report to the judge.
Shidel recommended all four be placed on five years’ probation after spending 30 days in the county jail.
The judge said, however, said to the Perrys, “We have a very serious situation here,” and warned them that if they got into any kind of trouble during their presentence investigation, it would impact his decision on their sentence.
The maximum penalties are eight years in prison and a $15,000 fine for felonious assault and 10 years and a $20,000 for aggravated burglary, the judge said.
Charges lodged against the men stemmed from the beating June 24, 2008, of Seth M. Leach, 33, of Ayrshire Drive, Austintown, in the Campbell home of Lori Perry.
Five men forced their way into Lori Perry’s home between midnight and 1 a.m. and beat Leach and then bound the victim’s hands and feet with duct tape.
After that, two more men, the Perrys, entered the home and beat and kicked Leach while he was bound, according to Campbell police reports.
Shidel described Perry Sr. as the ringleader who recruited his son and others to teach Leach a lesson. According to a Campbell police report, the Perrys had warned Leach to stay away from Lori Perry and her children. The Perrys are the ex-husband and father-in-law of Lori Perry.
Leach suffered multiple cuts and bruises, and his jaw was broken in two places. He spent several days recovering in St. Elizabeth Health Center.
A fifth man, Brandon T. Dotson of Selma Avenue, Youngstown, pleaded no contest to an amended charge of attempted-aggravated assault in April. Judge D’Apolito found him guilty and scheduled him for sentencing June 24, according to court records.
Leach and Lori Perry also have civil suits pending against the Perrys, Ziemianski, Riley and Dotson.
alcorn@vindy.com