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Man makes plea deal, gets 10-year sentence
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Joseph Valentine
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Albert E. Whitted III
By John W. Goodwin Jr.
YOUNGSTOWN
A city man charged in the murder of a South Side man in June will spend the next 10 years in prison.
Joseph Valentin, 21, of East Avondale Avenue, appeared Thursday before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court and entered into a plea deal with prosecutors. He was sentenced after accepting the deal.
Valentin and Albert E. Whitted III were charged in the death of Marlon Chatman, 28, who was shot twice in the leg after he admitted two men to a house in the 300 block of West Chalmers Avenue on June 16. Chatman died a short time later in St. Elizabeth Health Center.
Under the terms of the agreement, Valentin pleaded guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter and one count of kidnapping with a firearm specification. One count of murder and one count of robbery were dismissed.
Prosecutors recommended a 10-year prison sentence in exchange for Valentin’s plea. He could have been sentenced to up to 23 years on the amended charges.
Atty. Thomas E. Zena, representing Valentin, said his client has cooperated with police and was not directly responsible for Chatman’s death.
Judge Krichbaum sentenced Valentin to four years for involuntary manslaughter, three years for kidnapping and three years for the firearm specification for a total of 10 years in prison. Valentin also will have to serve five years on parole upon his release from prison.
Whitted, 23, of East Boston Avenue, also entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors in the case.
He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter with a gun specification and aggravated robbery. Prosecutors, under terms of the agreement, dropped murder and kidnapping charges.
Whitted could be sentenced to up to 23 years in prison. Prosecutors are waiting until after a pre-sentencing investigation has been conducted before making any sentencing recommendations. Whitted will be sentenced Nov. 5.