Trial pushed back for Swiergosz, accused of 2 standoffs with police
11/16/2009Michael Swiergosz, who is accused of twice keeping police at bay in separate standoffs earlier this year, was granted a January trial date in Lucas County Common Pleas Court Monday.
Swiergosz, 47, of 615 Scenic Drive, was scheduled to start a trial Monday on multiple charges resulting from the April 28 standoff with police that shut down an Ottawa Hills retirement village and several schools in the area. Also scheduled was the sentencing for his plea in an earlier case in which he held authorities at bay for several hours March 10 outside his Springfield Township home.
The trial date was pushed back to Jan. 26 and he will be sentenced Dec. 21 for one count of felonious assault with a gun specification. He faces up to 11 years in prison when sentenced by Judge Denise Ann Dartt.
The separate incidents involve standoffs in which Swiergosz held his now ex-wife captive. He is accused of holding her hostage for several hours in an April 28 incident at Sunset Retirement Communities on Indian Road.
Swiergosz is charged with three counts of kidnapping, one count of felonious assault, two counts of rape, one count of aggravated burglary, and one count of intimidation of a crime victim or witness, all with gun specifications. He is also charged with one count of having a weapon while under indictment for a felony.
The incident allegedly occurred while he was free on bond in a separate case that occurred just weeks earlier. For that case, Swiergosz pleaded guilty Nov. 10 to one count of felonious assault with a gun specification. A second felonious assault charge will be dismissed at his sentencing.
Swiergosz also faces up to five years in prison when sentenced Dec. 11 in Wood County Common Pleas Court. There he entered a plea to burglary for taking the gun out of an acquaintance's home that was used in the standoff on Indian Road.