Mike Ferner indicted over highway graffiti

2/9/2006

Former Toledo councilman and 1993 mayoral candidate Mike Ferner was indicted yesterday by a Lucas County grand jury for spray-painting anti-war graffiti on a highway overpass in Sylvania Township.

The grand jury handed up an indictment against Mr. Ferner on felony counts of vandalism and possession of criminal tools.

He will receive a summons to appear in Common Pleas Court for an arraignment, but no date was set yesterday for his appearance.

Mr. Ferner, 54, of 2975 113th St. and his brother, John, 46, of Columbus were arrested New Year's Day by Sylvania Township police near the Central Avenue overpass at the I-475/U.S. 23 interchange.

Three bridges at interchanges in Maumee and Sylvania Township were spray-painted with anti-war slogans.

John Ferner pleaded no contest Jan. 19 to misdemeanor criminal damaging in Sylvania Municipal Court for the incident in the township for which his brother was indicted. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 18.

Both men pleaded guilty last month to misdemeanor criminal damaging in Maumee Municipal Court for the incident there and are scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 17.

If convicted on the felony counts, Mr. Ferner could be sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $5,000 in fines.