Swanton man guilty of burglary and rape

5/26/2005

BOWLING GREEN - After deliberating for five hours yesterday, a jury in Wood County Common Pleas Court found a Swanton man guilty of raping a woman at a Perrysburg Township mobile home park.

Armin Lawrence Ryan, 37, was convicted of rape, kidnapping, and aggravated burglary in connection with the March 5 incident at the Friendly Village mobile home park. The jury found him innocent of a robbery charge for allegedly taking money from the victim's purse.

Judge Reeve Kelsey set sentencing and a sexual predator hearing for July 8.

Ryan already is classified as a sexual predator for 1997 convictions in Lucas County for attempted gross sexual imposition and attempted abduction. He served 10 months for the crimes and served prison time in California for convictions in 1991 for forcible rape and false imprisonment.

On May 3, Ryan was convicted in Lucas County Common Pleas Court of raping a 35-year-old East Toledo woman in December. Judge James Bates sentenced him to nine years in prison.

In the Wood County case, both Ryan and the victim testified during the five-day trial. The victim said she met Ryan at a Waterville bar and agreed to go to a friend's house with him, but instead they went to a vacant mobile home where he raped her. She later convinced him to take her to a Waterville convenience store, where she asked a clerk to call police.