TOLEDO, OHIO -- Two former Lucas County Sheriff's deputies who were found guilty of covering up the death of a jail inmate have been sentenced to prison time.
In December, retired Sgt. John Gray was found guilty of a civil rights violations and falsifying documents after the 2004 death of inmate Carlton Benton inside the Lucas County Jail. Gray was called into question for not getting Benton medical help after a fatal sleeper hold was put on him inside the jail.
Retired Deputy Jay Schmeltz was also found guilty of falsifying documents.
In court on Friday, Gray was ordered to serve three years in prison, while Schmeltz received a one year and one day prison sentence. Both men were ordered to report to serve their sentence at a yet to be determined time and location before going home with their families on Friday.
The two men were not as fortunate as their co-defendants, Lucas County Sheriff James Telb and Internal Affairs investigator Robert McBroom. Telb was found not guilty of aiding and abetting and not guilty of lying to federal agents for allegedly covering up Benton's death. McBroom was also found not guilty of aiding and abetting and not guilty of lying to federal agents.
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