Wednesday, March 25, 2009
YOUNGSTOWN — A defendant in a March 17, 2008, robbery and homicide has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Charles E. Smith Jr., 31, of East Florida Avenue, entered his plea this morning just as jurors were about the hear opening statements from the prosecution and defense in his trial in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
The prosecution alleged that Smith fatally shot Demar L. Flores, 18, of Elliot Lane, in the driveway of a Rutledge Drive residence, said Robert J. Andrews, assistant county prosecutor.
The prosecutor reduced the aggravated murder charge against Smith to involuntary manslaughter, to which Smith pleaded guilty. Smith pleaded guilty as charged to aggravated robbery and to a firearm specification.
The prosecution and defense agreed Smith would serve 10 years on each charge concurrently, plus the three mandatory consecutive years for the gun specification, for a total of 13 years in prison.
Because the prosecution and defense agreed to that sentence and Judge Maureen A. Sweeney adopted it, the sentence will be non-appealable.
Read more in Thursday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com