Accused hostage-taker in Trumbull court

WARREN

Richard Ware, one of the three men accused of taking a corrections officer hostage five hours last week for five hours at the Trumbull County jail, was brought to Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Monday for a hearing shackled hand and feet.

Most inmates wear handcuffs but not shackles on their feet.

Ware, 27, of Warren, was in the courtroom of Judge Peter Kontos in one of several pending aggravated robbery cases. His next pretrial hearing in this case was set for June 23, and a jury trial was set for Sept. 29.

After the hearing, he was immediately taken back to the Mahoning County Justice Center, where he has been in custody since late last week.

He and David Martin, 29, of Cleveland, were both taken to the Mahoning County lockup after initially going to the Ohio State Penitentiary Wednesday night after the hostage situation ended. Charges against the three suspects are pending an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

The third suspect is Kevin Johns, 24, of Cincinnati, who has been transferred to the state prison system, having already been sentenced to 28 years in prison.