Trending
LISBON -- Rubin L. Williams, the man found responsible for the fentanyl overdose of Jennifer Bettis in Salem in 2016, was sentenced to 11 years in prison by Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam on Friday.
Williams, 38, of Youngstown, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and trafficking in drugs during a three-day jury trial earlier this week.
The jury found Williams was responsible for the drugs sold to Bettis through a runner, Nicole Mitchell. Bettis was a heroin user, but blood toxicology reports show she had nine nanograms of fentanyl in her system after her death, while five nanograms is considered lethal.
At Friday's sentencing hearing, Chief Assistant County Prosecutor John Gamble said he was not going to go back through the case after Washam had just heard all the details during the trial. However, Gamble pointed to Williams' lack of remorse and cavalier attitude about what happened to Bettis.
"During his testimony, he seemed to think there is nothing dishonorable about what he did for a living," Gamble said. "We look at it quite differently."
Gamble added many of the people who are in courts day in and day out are being taken advantage of by Williams and other drug traffickers who are coming to the area.
Bettis' mother, Lisa Martin, and Bettis' aunt, Diane Shafer, had been in the courtroom throughout the trial. Gamble said he first met them just after the preliminary hearing for Williams last April. Although the two family members did not want to make a statement, Gamble said they agreed with the prosecutor's recommendation of the maximum 11 year sentence.
However, defense attorney Paul Conn said he believed the maximum sentence could be seen as retribution for Williams choosing to take his case to trial.
"We respect the jurors' decision," Conn said, "but we do not agree with it. My client maintains his innocence."
He said he would be filing a notice of appeal on Williams' behalf.
Additionally, Conn said while he does not blame the victim in the case, he did point out that this would not have happened to Bettis if she had not been a drug addict.
When Williams got a chance to speak before sentencing he gave his condolences to the Bettis family.
"I didn't sell her the drugs that killed her," Williams said. "I feel that the justice is not served for me or Jennifer, because I'm not the person who did that."
Washam ordered the 11-year sentence to be served consecutive to time Williams is already serving in the Trumbull Correctional Institution. That three-year term, scheduled to expire in April 2020, was also from Columbiana County charges for two counts of drug possession and having weapons while under disability.
Conn said he believed Williams should receive credit for time served in this case since April 19, 2018, when he first appeared in this case in county Municipal Court. Washam asked Conn to file a brief explaining how many days credit he believed Williams should receive and gave the prosecutor's office time to respond to the brief.