A 23-year-old Louisburg man is awaiting sentencing after reaching a plea agreement days before going to trial to defend rape and other charges.
According to the Miami County Republic, just days before the trial, Johnson reached a deal in which he agreed to plead no contest to two modified counts of aggravated sexual battery instead of the rape charges. A “no contest plea” allows a defendant to accept punishment without admitting guilt. The aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated battery charges were dismissed.
The plea agreement states that both parties believe Johnson’s criminal history will be categorized as “I,” in which case the standard guideline sentence for each count would be 32 months. That would equate to 64 total months, or five years and four months, in prison. However, the judge is not required to follow the recommendations of a plea agreement. Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced March 6th at the Miami County Courthouse.
