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Youngstown man, 27, gets 21/2 years for having drugs, pushing cop
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Aaron Profanchik told the judge who sentenced him to 21/2 years in prison Friday that he knows he can do better.
The Halleck Street man, 27, told Judge Shirley Christian of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court that he realizes he cannot keep making the same mistakes that landed him in trouble in the first place.
“I understand where I made my mistakes in life,” Profanchik said. “I apologize to the community. I want to do better. I will do better.”
The judge called his attutude “a step in the right direction.”
Profanchik pleaded guilty March 19 to charges of possession of heroin, a second-degree felony; and assault, a fourth-degree felony.
Campbell police tried to pull over a car Profanchik was driving in September. Reports said Profanchik shoved an officer who tried to handcuff him, and he ran away. He was caught.
The assault charge is for the shoving.
Police found an ounce of heroin on Profanchik when he was arrested and more than $8,700 cash they said was drug money.
The sentence was agreed to by Assistant Prosecutor Nick Brevetta and defense attorney Lou DeFabio. Because it is an agreed-upon sentence, it cannot be appealed.
Brevetta said he wanted a prison sentence because Profanchik was on probation at the time of his arrest.
Profanchik was given credit for 33 days he already has served in jail.