Two men first to be sentenced under anti-gang law
AKRON, Ohio –June 15, 1999 (AP) — Two Akron men who robbed two teen-agers of jackets and jewelry became the first to be sentenced under Ohio’s new anti-gang law. Each got one extra year in prison for gang activity.
Torrey Swain, 19, was sentenced Tuesday to eight years and Jason Cottrell, 18, to six years on their May 13 guilty pleas to aggravated robbery and using a weapon while committing a crime, said Summit County Prosecutor Michael Callahan.
Swain also was sentenced on felonious assault and violating probation charges.
The anti-gang law took effect Jan. 1, and added the possibility of longer sentences for gang members who commit violent crimes. Both men had an extra year tacked onto their sentences after pleading guilty to gang specifications.
“The prison terms handed down today signify our commitment to the community that gang violence will not be tolerated,” Callahan said.
Swain, Cottrell and David McCarthy, 16, were charged with robbing two teen-agers Feb. 18. McCarthy’s case is pending.
After the first victim, a 15-year-old, was robbed at gunpoint in a car, he pushed the gun away and jumped from the auto, police said.
Swain fired one shot at the teen, and the bullet tore through the victim’s jacket and shirt but did not strike him.
The second victim, a 16-year-old, got out of the car after he gave up his valuables, police said.
© The Associated Press, 1999
