ELYRIA — A Lorain man accused of fatally shooting another man in a 2004 dispute over a DVD player and a scale pleaded guilty Friday to murder and other charges that will send him to prison for 18 years to life.

Jason Charles, 33, would have faced the death penalty if his aggravated murder trial had gone forward as scheduled next month.

Ironically, Charles had been prepared to take the same plea deal three years ago, but it was nixed by Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will because the assistant county prosecutor who offered the deal then wasn’t authorized to do so.

This time, Will said, a review of the forensic evidence showed some issues with the trajectory of the gunshots that Charles was accused of firing into the car that Wilson Rodriguez was sitting in.

Rodriguez was killed by the gunfire, but the others in the car — his fiancee, Kristin Tingle, and two children — were unhurt.

“It was the best outcome that we could hope for with a guaranteed assurance,” Will said of Friday’s plea.

Mike Duff, Charles’ attorney, said the plea bargain spared his client the possibility of facing lethal injection.

“It’s a good deal,” he said. “Jason’s got about 4½ years in already.”

Charles has been in the county jail since his arrest, and that time will count toward his sentence. After serving 18 years, Charles will be eligible for parole.

Charles did not offer a statement before he was sentenced by county Common Pleas Judge Christopher Rothgery. The victim’s family was not in court.

Will said his office has had limited contact with Rodriguez’s family but had told them a plea bargain was a possibility.

In addition to pleading to the murder charge, Charles entered guilty pleas to attempted aggravated murder, attempted murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.

Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.

 

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