Man sentenced to 9 years for shooting into crowd at Huber Heights bar

Michael Joseph Prater

Credit: Montgomery County Jail

Credit: Montgomery County Jail

Michael Joseph Prater

A Dayton man was sentenced Wednesday to nine years in prison for shooting into a crowd in May 2019 at a Huber Heights tavern.

Michael J. Prater, 35, was convicted Dec. 18, 2020, of four counts of felonious assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.

“This defendant fired multiple rounds into a crowded bar,” said Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. “Thankfully, no one was killed by this defendant’s actions.”

Prater’s wife, Christina Prater, also was convicted and sentenced in the case. She pleaded guilty in April to four counts of felonious assault, according to Montgomery County Common Pleas Court records.

She was sentenced to five years of community control sanctions.

Christina A. Prater

Credit: MONTGOMERY COUNTY JAIL

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Credit: MONTGOMERY COUNTY JAIL

On May 15, 2019, police responded to the Villa Tavern on Rip Rap Road on a reported shooting. Officers found four victims upon arrival.

Witnesses reported a man fired rounds into a crowd listening to a live band and then fled in vehicle being driven by a woman, according to the prosecutor’s office.

An investigation revealed Michael Prater as the shooter and Christina Prater as the driver.

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