Friday, March 20, 2009

White man accused of threatening to burn house of black family pleads guilty in Ohio

DAYTON, Ohio —
A white man accused of threatening to burn the house of a black family because he didn't want them living in his Dayton-area neighborhood has pleaded guilty to ethnic intimidation.

Earl McLearran of suburban Jefferson Township entered the plea Tuesday, withdrawing a previous plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Sheriff's deputies arrested the 39-year-old McLearran in July after he was accused of yelling a racial slur at neighbor Saundra Ballard's son and threatening to burn her house.

While Ballard and her sons were testifying before a grand jury in the case, her house was set afire. A juvenile was later accused of setting the fire.

Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Kate Huffman says she intends to sentence McLearran to four years in prison.

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