Frost takes ILC plea

By Joe Gorman | July 1, 2016 at 12:02a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

The former head of Inspiring Minds Youngstown accepted a plea bargain that may make his criminal case go away.

Timothy Frost, 35, pleaded guilty Thursday before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to one felony count of trafficking in marijuana, and prosecutors agreed to dismiss two other counts.

Frost was placed on intervention in lieu of conviction, which means he must complete several programs ordered by the court, such as counseling. If he completes the programs and does not get in any more trouble, the charge will be dismissed after a year.

Defendants who have no prior felony convictions and are charged with a fourth- or fifth-degree felony are eligible for intervention in lieu of conviction.

Frost was arrested April 3 after Youngstown police were called about 12:50 a.m. Sunday for gunfire in the first block of East Evergreen Avenue on the South Side.

While they were on the way, they were told someone in an SUV was firing shots at a house. About the same time, police responded to a homicide on East Evergreen but police stressed Frost is not accused in that matter, and a gun was not found in his vehicle.

Officers spotted the SUV at Market Street and Indianola Avenue, but when an officer tried to stop it, the SUV drove away, reports said. The SUV almost crashed before pulling into the drive of an East Indianola Avenue business. Reports said Frost was the driver.

Frost got out of the SUV and showed his hands, and was ordered to walk backward toward police with his hands in the air. But he began putting them in his back pockets.

When officers told Frost to keep his hands up, according to police reports, Frost said: “What are you going to do? Shoot me? Then go ahead and shoot me.”

Frost also said, “How are you going to kill me knowing who I am?” Officers used an electronic stun weapon on him, reports said. Police found a bag of suspected marijuana in his pants and 15 more small bags of the drug in the SUV, along with a marijuana grinder, a digital scale and $310.

He was arraigned the next day in municipal court and has been free since posting bond after his arraignment. He was also suspended from being the head of the organization in Youngstown.

Judge Krichbaum said if Frost does not complete the program successfully or gets in trouble before it is over, he will go to prison.