LIMA — A former law enforcement officer who robbed and assaulted a man last year was sentenced to 25.5 years in prison Tuesday.
John Brentlinger Jr., 44, was sentenced on two counts of kidnapping with a gun, felonious assault with a gun, aggravated robbery with a gun, tampering with evidence with a gun, and extortion with a gun.
Brentlinger has always said he did nothing wrong and testified on his own behalf at a jury trial.
At his sentencing he said, “I did what I had to do in self-defense to stop a threat.”
Authorities said Brentlinger took a snowplow from Joe Croft, which Brentlinger does not dispute saying Croft owed him money and he was essentially repossessing the snowplow on Jan. 5, 2015.
Both sides disagree on the next actions.
Prosecutors said Croft found out his snowplow, valued at close to $8,000, was stolen from his business. He checked the surveillance video and saw it was Brentlinger.
Croft then decided to look for Brentlinger and found him at his father’s home in Gomer but didn’t approach him. He then followed Brentlinger, who drove to U.S. 30 and then stopped at a rest area. Croft watched Brentlinger from a distance across the parking lot.
Somehow, Brentlinger sneaked away and appeared at the side of Croft’s car. Croft said Brentlinger had a gun in his hand, pulled him out of his car, hit him on the head with the gun, fired it several times near his head, shot his cellphone, and then took his car and drove it to the other end of the rest stop.
Croft also said Brentlinger grabbed his keys and drove away in the vehicle Brentlinger arrived in.
Brentlinger and his attorney, Ken Rexford, tell a different story. They said Croft is a man with a criminal record who has been to prison more than once, who was a former longtime friend and business partner of Brentlinger.
Brentlinger stuck to his defense that he dealt with what he perceived as a threat.
“I had no idea who was pursing me therefore I dealt with the threat. I wish none of it had happened,” he said.
The 30-year-old Croft was in the courtroom but did not make a statement.
Brentlinger’s side also said Brentlinger was a former police officer, a special deputy in Putnam County, and had no record before this incident. Rexford said Brentlinger was in an accident in which he hurt his head and that may have altered his behavior.
Prosecutor Juergen Waldick described Brentlinger as a dangerous man.
“The defendant fancies himself as above the law,” Waldick said. “He feels completely justified and he may truly believe that, which is the worst part of this.”
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