Man gets prison time for ‘13 shooting

By Joe Gorman

jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Prosecutors asked for and received the maximum sentence for a man convicted of an August 2013 shooting.

Keith Black, 27, was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in prison by Judge Maureen Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on charges of felonious assault with a firearm specification and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was convicted Feb. 25 after a trial.

Just before the sentence was handed down, Black maintained his innocence, although he did apologize to the victim, Nicholas Duecaster, who was wounded Aug. 13, 2013, on Ravenwood Avenue.

Assistant Prosecutor Rob Andrews asked for the maximum sentences, which are eight years on the felonious assault, plus a mandatory three years for the firearm specification as well as three years on the weapons charge.

He said the maximum was necessary because Duecaster was seriously wounded. He was to be a kidney donor for a sister, but he can no longer do so because of the wounds he suffered.

“He’s lucky to be alive,” Andrews said of Duecaster.

Duecaster was not in court. He has been in the county jail since May 20, when he was arrested on drug charges.

Black’s attorneys contended during the trial and again at sentencing that Duecaster was shot during a drug deal. Black was acting in self-defense because Black thought Duecaster wanted to rob him, his lawyers said.

“Certainly, Nicholas Duecaster as a victim did have some role in what happened here,” said David Betras, one of Black’s attorneys.

Black said he and Duecaster “are not angels,” and he respects the jury system, but he still said he is innocent. He is appealing his conviction.