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Man gets two years for taking items from sponsor
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Jeffrey Gooden is sincere about getting help for his addiction to pills, a Mahoning County Common Pleas Court judge told him Wednesday.
However, Judge Shirley J. Christian also told him she has to look at his past record before deciding if he should go to prison on a felony burglary charge.
The fact that he has a past record, was on judicial release and went back to abusing pills led her to give him a sentence of two years in prison.
“It’s about the crimes you committed when you relapsed and the crimes you committed in the past,” Judge Christian told him. “In my mind, you allowed your problem to become someone else’s problem. And I can’t say that’s OK.”
Gooden, 32, of Alliance, pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary for taking items from a Beloit home on June 28 of last year.
Assistant Prosecutor Mary Beth DiGravio said Gooden was sentenced to four years in prison for a burglary in Portage County, but was released from prison on judicial release.
DiGravio said that while on judicial release, Gooden began abusing pills again.
DiGravio said Gooden was in a drug-treatment program and also owned a painting business.
She said he was asked by his sponsor in the program to paint his home. While doing the work he stole several items from the home to help get him money to pay for more pills.
Gooden’s lawyer, Lynn Maro, had several certificates showing the treatment and counseling Gooden has been getting since he was arrested for the new charge. Gooden told the judge he was sorry and accepted whatever sentence she was going to hand down,
Judge Christian agreed that he was making progress but said she is concerned what would happen if he started abusing pills again.
“You are doing what you need to do, but I still have to consider the consequences of what you did and if you relapse again,” Judge Christian said.
Another factor for her deciding on prison is the fact that Gooden knew the people he took things from, Judge áhristian said.