LIMA — A 20-year-old Lima man who, in conjunction with a friend, robbed a woman during what was purported to be an internet-based sale was sentenced Thursday in Allen County Common Pleas Court.
Jason Sledge was handed a seven-year prison term, a sentence identical to the one received by his co-defendant in the case.
Sledge was indicted by a grand jury in November on charges of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony that included a three-year firearm specification, and one count of carrying a concealed weapon, a felony of the fourth degree. In February he accepted a deal from prosecutors that called for him to plead guilty to the robbery and firearm charge in exchange for the state’s dismissal of the concealed weapon count.
The agreement included a stipulated prison sentence of seven years, the same as was given last month to Sledge’s co-defendant, Kirk Brenneman Jr., 19.
Prior to the imposition of the sentence, Sledge’s attorney said the Lima man’s participation in the robbery was out of character.
“In talking with people who know Jason, they can’t believe he’d take part in something like this. Jason can’t believe it either. He’s not a thug; he’s not a robber. But he knows this ‘aggravated stupidity’ has ruined his life for the next seven years,” Kluge said. “He also recognizes what he’s done has altered this woman’s life, and he’s prepared to take his punishment.”
Sledge offered his apologies to the victim and also to the judge “for being present in your courtroom.” He told Kohlrieser he plans to use his time in prison “to make myself better than I was before.”
According to court documents, Slege and Brenneman took part in the robbery of the woman at Lima Estates Apartments on East Fourth Street that took place on Sept. 26, 2019. Police say the woman went to the apartment complex after being directed there by a subject posting an advertisement on the “Letgo” internet classified marketplace site. The person posted under the name “Rkm Money” and was attempting to sell an iPhone 11 for $300, police said.
The woman told police she arrived at the apartments, and two subjects walked toward her car. One male, later identified as Sledge, got into the front seat of the vehicle, while Brenneman got into the rear passenger seat.
As the woman prepared to make the transaction, Sledge reportedly pulled a gun from his pants and pointed it at the woman, demanding her phone. He then “charged” the weapon by putting a live round in the chamber and pressed the gun against the woman’s abdomen and again demanded her cell phone, while Brenneman loaded her PlayStation gaming device into his backpack.
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