ASHLAND – After a one month reprieve due to a clerical error, Richard Lawless discovered his fate Tuesday afternoon: 20 years in prison.
Ashland County Common Pleas Judge Ronald P. Forsthoefel handed down the sentence, which agreed with the suggested sentence in the plea agreement made by Ashland County prosecutors, Lawless’ attorney, James Mayer, and Lawless.
Lawless pleaded no contest to all 39 counts of the indictment against him on May 23 as part of the plea agreement.
Forsthoefel ordered the 20-year sentence to run concurrent with the 17-year sentence Lawless, 49, received in Wayne County Common Pleas Court earlier this year.
In Ashland County, Lawless received six years for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, 11 years for conspiracy to trafficking in heroin and three years for the firearm specification in relation to the aggravated burglary charge, for a total of 20 years.
Forsthoefel read through the list of charges, handing down a sentence for each charge, explaining that all other sentences are to run concurrent with those three consecutive charges.
Other charges in the indictment include possession of drugs, having weapons under disability, trafficking in cocaine, aggravated possession of drugs, abduction, illegal cultivation of marijuana, complicity to trafficking in cocaine, illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, illegal manufacturing of drugs, and felonious assault.
Mayer said he has been told by federal investigators that Lawless will likely face federal charges related money laundering, which could add even more jail time to his sentence.
During the sentencing hearing Tuesday, Lawless told the court he wanted to file motions for a continuance and to have Mayer removed as his court-appointed attorney. Lawless claimed Mayer had not gone over the indictment with him or reviewed all the evidence with him. When Forsthoefel asked Lawless if he wanted to withdraw his pleas, Lawless said he did not. Forsthoefel said there was no evidence of Mayer not performing his duties and denied Lawless’ motions.
Although several of the counts carry mandatory fines, the judge set aside the fines due to Lawless being found to be indigent. Lawless was forced to forfeit all of his personal property besides two vehicles – a Lincoln Town Car and a Ford diesel truck.
Lawless led authorities on a 52-day manhunt last year before finally being arrested in July in the Akron area. The search was spurred by an alleged assault on Raymond Krupansky III, brother of Lawless’ girlfriend, Sarah Krupansky, in May and June of last year.
Authorities began investigating Lawless after receiving information that he was the alleged ringleader of a drug trafficking operation in the area. Authorities served multiple search warrants and conducted several controlled buys in connection with the case, uncovering heroin, cocaine, prescription drugs, and marijuana with a combined estimated street value of more than $1 million. Authorities also seized cash, illegally-owned guns, and items used to make heroin in pill form.
Lawless and six others were indicted in November in connection with the drug ring.
Last month, Sarah Krupansky was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to 13 out of 26 counts. The counts included engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, complicity to trafficking in heroin, complicity to trafficking in cocaine, tampering with records, and possession of drugs. Raymond Krupansky is scheduled to be sentenced July 11 after pleading guilty to six counts.
