Former Lake Twp. man sentenced to 5 years in robbery

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Jeremiah Zoltani in
court Tuesday morning. (Photo: J.D. Pooley/Sentinel-Tribune)

A former Lake Township man was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison for the robbery of a Tim
Horton’s cafe in Rossford last fall.
Jeremiah Zoltani, 25, formerly of Millbury and with a current listed address in Cincinnati, appeared
before Wood County Court of Common Pleas Judge Robert Pollex.
He pleaded guilty in April to one count of robbery and one count of failure to comply with the order or
signal of a police officer, both third-degree felonies. A count of aggravated robbery, a first-degree
felony, was dismissed as the result of a plea agreement.
The robbery took place Sept. 25 just after 12 a.m. at the restaurant, located at 1011 Buck Road.
Zoltani reportedly took an undisclosed amount of money from the location and fled the scene in what was
later determined to be a Jeep reported stolen in Millbury. A pursuit ensued onto Interstate 75
southbound, and ended in Perrysburg Township after Zoltani struck a tree on private property. He was
injured in the crash and taken to a hospital.
At Tuesday’s sentencing, Zoltani’s attorney, Paul Geller, noted he had known Zoltani “for a long, long
time,” was home-schooled and raised in a good home, but fell into heroin addiction.
“He knows he’s facing jail,” said Geller, adding later that Zoltani “is deeply sorry for what he did.
Words can never express.”
Geller said Zoltani, in jail and out, could be a benefit to others.
“He’s going to continue, in his way, of telling others” to get help. “He can touch many, many lives.” He
said Zoltani is currently clean and turning his life around.
“He knows the right way,” he said, adding “almost getting killed, that was a blessing.”
“Jeremiah is going to make the court proud.”
Prosecuting attorney Gwen Howe-Gebers commended Zoltani “for at least being on the right path,” but said
“the court and the state must think about the victim in this case.”
Indicating that the incident stemmed from seeking cash for his addiction, though Zoltani did not have a
gun, “a threat was made to them, a robbery was committed.”
“I’ve been preparing the last months” for the consequences, said Zoltani as he addressed the court. “I’m
just very thankful for the Christian community that I live in,” and where he said he has lived in recent
months.
“I know the severity of my crime, and I’m very sorry, very ashamed that I did these things. I know that
heroin was a factor, but that is no excuse.”
Pollex, noting Zoltani had a record of previous, more minor offenses, said “clearly these charges are
just an escalating pattern of behavior.”
He sentenced Zoltani to 30 months on each charge, to be served consecutively, for a total of five years
in prison.
Pollex did say that early release could be considered at some point.
“I think he needs at least some exposure to prison,” he said.

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