Ferner guilty of defacing bridge

7/19/2006
BLADE STAFF

A Lucas County Common Pleas Court jury today found anti-war activist and former Toledo mayoral candidate Mike Ferner guilty of defacing a highway bridge with spray paint on New Year s Day.

Ferner, 55, was found guilty of felony vandalism and possession of criminal tools.

An active critic of U.S. military action in Iraq, he painted the slogan Troops Out Now on the Central Avenue overpass on I-475/U.S. 23 in Sylvania Township.

The jury deliberated for about 15 minutes before returning with their verdicts.

He faces a possible two-year prison sentence and fines up to $7,500 when he is sentenced on Aug. 4 by Judge Charles Wittenberg.

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