Nathan A. Johnson stands with his defense attorney Jeff Jakmides during his plea and sentencing Friday for assaulting a man and breaking into two homes in New Waterford in July, including the home of a state representative and judge. He was sentenced to a minimum seven years in prison, with a maximum possible of 10 1/2 years. (Photo by Mary Ann Greier)

LISBON — An emotional Nathan A. Johnson apologized to the families he terrorized in July and said he deserved the consequences, learning Friday that those consequences include at least seven years in prison.

“Those families will live with this for the rest of their lives,” Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton said.

Bickerton followed the recommendation of county Assistant Prosecutor Steve Yacovone in sentencing Johnson to a minimum seven years and a maximum possible 10 1/2 years for qualifying offenses of first-degree felony aggravated burglary, and second-degree felonies of felonious assault and burglary. He entered guilty pleas to all three charges.

What the sentence means is that once he serves the seven years, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections can decide if he needs to stay longer, depending on his behavior while he’s there, for an additional period of up to half of the original seven-year term or three and a half years.

He received credit for 99 days already served in jail and was ordered to pay restitution of $1,776 for damages to a door and for medical expenses. He’s prohibited from ever owning or using a firearm.

Yacovone described the events of July 15 this year on Hatcher Road when Johnson showed up at the home of state Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel and Seventh District Court of Appeals Judge Carol Robb. He demanded to know where the Robbs were and asked about a girl and then became violent with Monica’s husband, Charles Blasdel. He then took a chair and broke the glass of the door to break into the house where an 8-year-old girl was present, then he came back out and went across the street, breaking into home of the Yarian family where there was another girl present.

“They still have a fear that something like this could happen again. This defendant took that from them, that sense of security you should have in your own home,” Yacovone said.

According to an affidavit filed in county Municipal Court, during the encounter, Johnson pulled into the Hatcher Road property at a high rate of speed and approached Charles Blasdel, who’s a former state representative, in an aggressive manner. He punched him in the head and knocked him to the ground. He also grabbed his phone out of his hand as he was calling for help.

Yacovone said the families were told about the plea deal and were satisfied. As part of the deal, charges from the indictment which included third-degree felonies of robbery and attempted burglary, fourth-degree felony disrupting public services and misdemeanor theft were dismissed.

None of the victims were in attendance at the hearing, but Johnson’s mother, Beth, who was there with his father and brother, addressed the court, saying how really sorry they were for Nathan’s actions and know young children were traumatized. She also said they were thankful that Nathan didn’t lose his life that day.

“The Nathan we know is a kind and considerate man,” she said.

She recalled a time when he took a bike home to Ohio and a man who used to pass his home asked if he could use the bike. He let him and then the man brought the bike back and then the man asked if he could use it again. Nathan called and asked if he could just give the bike to the man. She said family was important to him and he would always help with projects. She shared that he had an inflammatory disease that causes him chronic back pain, but never used it as an excuse. He had experienced the death of a close friend and had a breakup.

“This has been a nightmare for our family, for Nathan as well,” his mother said.

This day was the first time they had seen him since early July and she said she knows punishment is warranted.

“I humbly ask the court to consider an alternative that will let Nathan come out stronger. Please show leniency in his sentencing,” his mother said.

Defense attorney Jeff Jakmides also spoke on his client’s behalf, saying “there’s no explanation for what he did that day.”

He talked about the challenge of explaining to someone what prison life is like and that not many first offenders are in prison. He said he had an alcohol problem at one time and was 10 years sober. What happened was out of character for him.

“His family’s just dumbfounded about these events,” Jakmides said. “He has taken responsibility for what he’s done.”

Johnson cried as his mother spoke and told the court “scaring those girls that day was the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

He said he was beyond ashamed of what he did and knows that hitting someone is something you can’t take back and something that makes him deserve consequences. In talking about the victim, Charles Blasdel, he said, “I hope my actions towards him caused no, God forbid, lasting permanent damage.”

He couldn’t imagine what he would do if someone broke into his house.

“I apologize to the victims as strongly as I can,” he said, also apologizing to his mom and dad.

Bickerton said he broke into not one but two houses and violated the one safe place in the world for those young girls. One of the girls locked herself in the room when he was breaking into the house.

“I can’t imagine the fear,” she said.

Bickerton pointed out to Johnson that “something in you made you capable of this. You did it. The facts are the facts.”

She touched on the fact that in the pre-sentence investigation he said he was drinking three days before this happened and asked if he had a relapse. He said he thought he had grown out of it, which she questioned.

She questioned how sorry he was when he entered the Blasdel home.

“Mr. Blasdel begged you, begged you not to harm his daughter,” she said.

Bickerton relayed how Johnson took the victim’s phone so he couldn’t call for help and then he went across the street and broke into the other house.

“If you felt bad, you would have stopped terrorizing these people,” she said.

She pointed out that he was hiding and the deputies had to find him.

Bickerton also pointed out that just four days before this incident. he was painting swastikas on signs and said “that’s a violent sign that shouldn’t be put anywhere — ever.”

In county Municipal Court, he was fined $100 and sentenced to 30 days in jail for criminal mischief and also ordered to pay restitution of $487.99 for damage to a Trump sign. The county sheriff’s office took a report on July 11 that an unknown male spray painted swastikas on a Trump sign at the intersection of state Route 7 and Waterford Road. Johnson admitted to doing it when taken into custody.