Former Fugitive of the Week sentenced to prison for Lake County cases

Former Fugitive of the Week Deandre Woods was sentenced Dec. 15 to 4 1/2 years in prison for his Lake County cases.

Woods, 29, was captured Oct. 21 by the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force and Richmond Heights police.

He had been wanted by the Marshals Service, the Lake County Narcotics Agency and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for heroin trafficking, and by Mayfield Heights police on burglary and kidnapping charges. He also was wanted for fleeing and eluding by Wickliffe police.

Woods pleaded guilty in Lake County Common Pleas Court to trafficking in heroin, failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and possession of cocaine. He was immediately sentenced by Judge Vincent A. Culotta.

The prosecutor and defense attorney jointly recommended three years in prison, but Culotta did not go along with the recommendation.  Woods also was fined $5,000, and his driver’s license was suspended for five years.

On Sept. 30, task force members attempted to arrest Woods at a Mayfield Heights apartment, but Woods forced his way into an adjacent apartment, where he held a woman against her will until he jumped out of a window and escaped.

Published by the News Herald