Man gets prison term for assault

The 48-year-old receives 45 months for argument that turned violent.

URBANA — An Urbana man was sentenced to serve nearly four years in prison Monday after he told authorities he snapped during an argument with a close friend last fall.

Duane A. Weaver, 48, was sentenced to serve 45 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count each of attempted felonious assault, abduction and possession of cocaine.

Weaver told Champaign County Common Pleas Court Judge Roger Wilson he had stayed out of trouble for the last two years. But Weaver said he was under the influence of drugs on Nov. 12 when he and the victim became involved in a heated argument while Weaver was living in the victim’s home.

“He pushed me, and I took it too far and just lost it,” Weaver told Wilson.

Nick Selvaggio, Champaign County prosecutor, said the victim asked Weaver to leave the residence.

The dispute became physical, and Selvaggio said Weaver poured bleach on the victim’s back and ordered him to lay on the floor.

Weaver told the victim he was not allowed to leave the home, and threatened to blow up the residence.

Weaver was later arrested at the home after the victim’s friends called police.

“The defendant has a history of violence and a history of drug abuse,” Selvaggio said. “That has certainly caused him some difficulty in the outside world.”

Christopher Bucci, Weaver’s attorney, said Weaver never meant for the argument to get so far out of hand and asked that his client’s sentence be served concurrently, or at the same time.

Wilson ordered Weaver to serve 36 months in prison on a charge of attempted felonious assault. He was also ordered to serve nine months in prison on one count of abduction.

The sentences will be served consecutively, or one after the other, meaning Weaver will serve a total of 45 months in prison.

Weaver was also ordered to serve 12 months in prison on one count of possession of cocaine. That sentence will be served at the same time as the other two counts.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or Matt.Sanctis@coxinc.com.

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