Greene man sentenced for death threats
A Greene County man accused of threatening to shoot up a school as part of a series of death threats in April was sentenced to 102 days – the amount of time he has already served – to five years in jail Tuesday afternoon.
Under the terms of the sentence, Joseph Miller, 27, of Sycamore, was immediately eligible for parole.
He pleaded guilty Tuesday to three counts of terroristic threats, two counts of disorderly conduct and one count each of harassment, open lewdness and improper communications with 911.
The terroristic threat charges carried five-year penalties, all imposed concurrently. Miller received concurrent sentences of one year probation for the other counts.
Miller had been charged with threats against the mother of his child, the school the child attends and the Greene County 911 center over a three-day period.
Assistant District Attorney Nikki LaPresta thought it was a fair outcome, noting the sentence fell within the guidelines.
“The victims were happy,” she said.
The child’s mother, Jenna Koss, attended Tuesday’s hearing.
“I’m OK with everything going on here,” she said, provided that Miller receives a weekly drug test.
LaPresta assured her that he would be regularly drug tested. She also asked that any discussions about custody of his child be contacted through a third party.
Miller’s attorney, Adam Yarussi, also agreed with the sentence.
“He’s doing much better now than he was at the time of the offense,” he said. “He did accept responsibility, and we’re happy with the result.”
On April 2, Miller had gone to Intermediate Unit 1 in Waynesburg, where police said he threatened to “shoot this place up” if a security guard didn’t retrieve his son.
Miller had gone to the building with the knowledge that the child’s mother was coming to pick up their son after a disciplinary issue, he later told police.
Children were moved to the back of the building until the threat had passed, according to court documents.
When Miller was denied entry at the door, police said, he exposed himself to staff and security members before making his violent threat. The criminal complaint said he also threatened to slit the security guard’s throat while also using racial slurs.
After receiving a trespassing order from the district, Miller called the building on April 3 to threaten the principal, court records said.
Later that day, the complaint said, Miller also threatened to shoot an operator at the Greene County 911 center.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Miller said he had a history of mental health problems, including bipolar disorder and depression. He had not been taking medication at the time of the incident, he said.
After being released, he said, he will be staying on top of his medication, seeing a therapist, and also focus on his physical health.
As part of the terms of his parole, Miller was directed to check in with the Department of Human Services to ensure he would follow up with mental health treatments.
“I want to make sure if we’re letting you go, it’s not going to happen again,” Judge Lou Dayich told him.