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Man pleads guilty to assaulting girlfriend
YOUNGSTOWN
A Youngstown man could spend the next 18 years in prison for a brutal 2012 assault on his girlfriend after pleading guilty in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
Michael Kohn, 32, of Florence Avenue, pleaded guilty to one count of felonious assault and one count of kidnapping before Judge James C. Evans in the Aug. 10 beating of his then 31-year-old girlfriend.
Prosecutors, in accordance with a plea deal, are recommending a five-year prison term, but the maximum term for the charges could be as many as 18 years behind bars.
Kohn will be sentenced April 17.
The charges stem from the August incident that left the woman at St. Elizabeth Health Center for medical treatment. Police found the woman at the hospital wearing a neck brace, with multiple bruises and scratches over her body. Her clothes were bloody, and there was swelling around her nose.
The woman told police she and Kohn were in an argument hours earlier when he began punching her, choking her and banging her head on the ground.
The kidnapping charge stems from allegations that Kohn would not allow the woman to leave the house.
The woman said she tried to leave the house but Kohn locked the door with deadbolts from the inside and told her she was not allowed to have a key. The woman said she tried to call 911 and Kohn snatched the phone.
Police reports say the woman crawled through a window to escape after Kohn fell asleep. She contacted a family member who took her to the hospital.
Police noted that Kohn has a history of domestic violence with the 31-year-old woman and other people. They also noted that he is known to keep multiple weapons inside his home.
County records show that Kohn has been charged in the past with passing bad checks and improper handling of a firearm. There are past charges in the city for vandalism, obstructing official business, criminal damaging or endangering and driving under the influence.