As part of a plea deal, prosecutors agreed to recommended a one-year sentence on each of the charges and to have those sentences run concurrently, said Public Defender Steve Layman. He said Ridenour was doing better while incarcerated and away from drugs. “Eventually, he has to figure out what he has to do to stay off drugs,” Layman said.
Ridenour told Judge Christopher Gee he wanted to apologize for the harassment incident. He said he had been using drugs, which was no excuse. “I wasn’t in the right state of mind,” he said, calling the action, “totally uncharacteristic of me.”
Janna Parker, an assistant county prosecutor, said Ridenour had served three prior prison sentences including time for abusing harmful intoxicants. Ridenour’s actions did not cause physical harm to the correction officer, she said.
Gee sentenced him to a year in prison and gave him credit for 25 days served in the county jail. Ridenour also was ordered to pay court costs and $150 restitution to the Piqua police for drug testing.
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