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Man pleads in Vic Boys case
By joe gorman
youngstown
A man who was indicted with, but not part of, an East Side street gang pleaded guilty in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to drug charges as the gang members themselves began a round of pretrial hearings.
Lawrence Mitchum, 50, pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of trafficking in drugs and possession of cocaine after he worked out a plea agreement with prosecutors. The agreement called for two six-month sentences to be served concurrently, which Judge Maureen Sweeney upheld when she took Mitchum’s plea and imposed his sentence.
Assistant Prosecutor Martin Desmond said that although Mitchum was indicted with them, he was not a member of the Vic Boys street gang which had 14 members indicted on drug-trafficking and gang charges in August.
Judge Sweeney is having pretrial hearings for all defendants in the case this week, and tentative trial dates are set for Sept. 23.
Police and prosecutors say the gang was responsible for drug dealing and crimes of violence around the Victory Estates housing project. Desmond said at a hearing for another suspect in the case that all who have been arrested are also being held on other charges, and two also are serving prison sentences.
Desmond said Mitchum was charged with dealing drugs in the same area while investigators were building their case.
Mitchum’s lawyer, Tony Meranto, said Mitchum was one of his first clients and is a good man who needs to stay away from drugs.
“I wish I could keep him off the drugs,” Meranto said.
Mitchum apologized to Judge Sweeney and Meranto and thanked her for following the sentencing agreement worked out between Desmond and Meranto.
“I’m too old for this,” Mitchum said.