Three sentenced in county jail aggravated riot, robbery case
Brandon Spring stands in court with his defense attorney during Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Litle’s presentation of the Spring’s case to the court.
January 14, 2019
Nearly half of the men accused of assaulting and robbing an inmate in the Muskingum County Jail were sentenced Monday.
Zachary D. South, Richard H. Whitehouse and Brandon L. Spring were all sentenced in the Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas Monday morning for their respective involvement in a situation that occurred in the Muskingum County Jail on July 11, 2017.
Seven previous inmates in the Muskingum County Jail, allegedly pulled Kevin Kidd, a self-claimed, former Aryan Brotherhood gang member, out of his cell bed before beating him and stealing his commissary. Kidd suffered injuries to his head, neck and shoulder, as well as a blood clot and a broken tooth, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Gerald Anderson said during John H. Hampton’s plea.
Not all seven of the men accused of participating in the assault are confirmed Real Riders gang members, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Litle, said, but some may have been associated with the gang without official membership.
South, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated riot, a third-degree felony, on Friday, Jan. 11 and was sentenced to 9 months in prison during his sentencing Monday. He is currently serving a two-year sentence for a robbery and theft case he was convicted of in 2017.
Whitehouse, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated riot, a third-degree felony, on Friday, Jan. 11. He was also sentenced to 9 months in prison during his sentencing Monday. Whitehouse was awaiting sentencing on a failure to comply with a risk of harm specification when the July 11, 2017 incident occurred. He served a 12-month sentence on his original charge.
Spring, a Real Riders prison gang member, pleaded guilty to participating in a criminal gang, a second-degree felony, on Monday and requested to proceed with sentencing during his change of plea. Spring, 24, along with the other six men involved, originally pleaded not guilty in 2018 to their respective involvement in the incident.
Spring was sentenced to four years in prison. He is currently serving a two-year sentence stemming from a trafficking in drugs, possession of drugs and participating in a criminal gang case from 2017.
During his plea change and sentencing, Spring apologized for his actions in the assault.
“I’d just like to apologize to the court for wasting your time,” Spring said while addressing Judge Mark Fleegle. “I’d like to apologize to the victim.”
Spring and South will both serve their respective time consecutive to their current prison sentences related to their previous cases from 2017.
There are still four former inmates awaiting sentencing in the case involving Kidd. Mark L. Swartz, Christopher M. Rambo, Ryan M. Viney and John H. Hampton have all pleaded guilty to their alleged involvement in the assault. Swartz and Hampton are scheduled to be sentenced later this week.
For more information on this story:
