No new jail time for man convicted of falsifying Purple Heart record

WARREN — Keith Chandler of Kinsman, who has served about two weeks of his 90-day Trumbull County jail sentence for falsifying documents to get Purple Heart license plates, won't get extra time for a separate violation in Lake County.

Chandler, 35, stood before Judge Ronald Rice of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court today for an alleged probation violation, but the judge determined that Chandler had not violated his probation.

Chandler pleaded guilty in Painsville Municipal Court in Lake County to falsification after he was accused of fraudulently attempting to obtain insurance money to perform construction work on a Madison Township church.

The offense took place between his guilty plea and sentencing on the license plate matter. Therefore, the judge ruled, Chandler had not yet been informed of the terms and conditions of his probation, said Chuck Morrow, an assistant Trumbull County prosecutor.

Chandler pleaded guilty before Judge Ronald Rice in March 2015 to seven counts of tampering with records and one count of forgery for tampering with his military discharge papers in 2009 and tampering with Ohio BMV records in 2011, 2012 and 2013 to get the free plates.

An appeal put his jail sentence on hold until a decision to uphold his conviction was rendered. He began serving the remainder of his 90-day sentence March 17.