LIMA — A Lima man charged with involuntary manslaughter in the drug-related death of his wife earlier this year will spend no more than four years in prison and could escape jail altogether.
David E. Lewis, 43, pleaded guilty Wednesday morning in Allen County Common Pleas Court to reduced charges of reckless homicide, a third-degree felony, and aggravated possession of drugs (fentanyl), a felony of the fifth-degree, in the Feb. 10 death of his wife, Cynthia L. Lewis.
Lewis and Daniel Kill, 42, the brother of the deceased woman, were each indicted in August by a grand jury on charges of involuntary manslaughter and corrupting another with drugs by providing a controlled substance, fentanyl, and therefore causing “serious physical harm to Cynthia Lewis.”
The involuntary manslaughter charge, a first-degree felony, carried a maximum penalty of 11 years in prison. Corrupting another with drugs, a second-degree felony, has a maximum sentence of eight years.
Kill is also charged with tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. Both Kill and Lewis entered pleas of not guilty to all charges during their arraignment hearings in August.
During Wednesday’s court hearing, Lewis listened intently as Judge Jeffrey Reed outlined all the many ramifications of the guilty plea the defendant was prepared to enter. Reed told Lewis that the charges do not require mandatory prison sentences. The maximum sentences the judge could dole out are 36 months in prison on the third-degree felony count and 12 months on the possession of drugs charge.
Reed said that if, following a presentence investigation, it is determined that Lewis should serve prison time, that sentence could range from nine months to four years. Reed said other sentencing options include various levels of community control, a sentence to be served in the county jail, or any combination of probation and jail time.
Lima attorney William Kluge, representing Lewis, asked Reed to allow the defendant to be released on an own-recognizance bond pending sentencing, which was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Nov. 20. Reed agreed and ordered Lewis to be equipped with an ankle monitoring device and to submit to regular urinalysis while out on bond.
Assistant Prosecutor Anthony Miller objected to the motion for the lower bond amount.
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