Plea deal sends Michael Crozier to prison for nine years for rape

ZANESVILLE − A local man will spend a mandatory term of nine years in prison after agreeing to plead guilty to one count of rape.

Michael Crozier, 34, attacked a woman in Zane Landing Park on the night of May 24, restraining and then sexually assaulting her, according to the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office.

Court records show Crozier was originally charged with one count of kidnapping, a first-degree felony; two counts of rape, first-degree felonies; and gross sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony.

Crozier was arrest in October and indicated in November. He then entered a plea of not guilty to the charges and his bond was set at $200,000.

A trial was set for Dec. 12, but a plea deal was struck and Crozier agreed to pled guilty to one count of rape on Dec.13. Judge Mark Fleegle sentenced him to nine to 13.5 years in prison on Feb. 5. He received a credit of 123 days for the time he spent in jail and must register as a sex offender when released from prison.

Prosecutor Ron Welch said the courage of the victim has made the community a safer place to live.

“Our community will now be safe from his criminal acts for nearly a decade, as a result of a victim's bravery in coming forward to report his crime. The outcome of this case is a credit to that victim, the responding officers, the detective, the assistant prosecutor, and the courts.”

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Zanesville man accepts plea deal, sentenced to prison for rape