Local pleads ‘not guilty’ to rape, drug charges
- Published: November 16, 2017
Update: In September 2020, Gentile entered into a plea agreement with the prosecutor’s office. He pleaded guilty to two lesser charges involving the drug-related accusations and pleaded “no contest” to a single count of vandalism. All other charges were dropped.
Michael M. Gentile, 20, pleaded not guilty Friday to rape, drug and vandalism offenses. The Yellow Springs resident was arraigned Nov. 3 at the Greene County Court of Common Pleas.
His bond, originally set as a $50,000 blanket bond, was increased at the arraignment to $200,000 by the judge assigned to the case, Judge Michael Buckwalter. A Nov. 9 bond hearing is scheduled to address the increase, according to Gentile’s lawyer, Dayton attorney Jon Paul Rion.
Gentile was indicted Oct. 25 by a Greene County grand jury on multiple rape and drug charges involving a juvenile, as well as unrelated vandalism charges. The rape and drug charges stem from a May 22 incident in which he allegedly provided or administered a controlled substance to a juvenile at least two years his junior.
Gentile posted $50,000 bond Oct. 27 and was released from Greene County Jail to his Yellow Springs residence later that day, subject to a variety of bond conditions.
The first of two pre-trial hearings took place Nov. 7, with another scheduled for Nov. 30. The rape and drug charges are the focus of discussions between the defense and prosecution at this point, according to defense attorney Rion. Depending on the outcome of those discussions, the case could go to jury trial thereafter.
Gentile was indicted last month on four counts of rape, a first-degree felony, and one count each of sexual battery, gross sexual imposition, corrupting another with drugs and aggravated possession of drugs, according to the indictment released by the Greene County prosecutor’s office two weeks ago. He also faces a separate indictment for two counts of vandalism of property “owned, leased or controlled” by the Village of Yellow Springs. All charges are felonies.
Contact: ahackett@ysnews.com
The Yellow Springs News encourages respectful discussion of this article.
You must login to post a comment.
Don't have a login? Register for a free YSNews.com account.
No comments yet for this article.