A man who was convicted of conning his way into the home of a 98-year-old woman Rodgers Forge and assaulting her was sentenced Friday to more than eight decades in prison.
Paul Earnest Howard Jr., 51, was sentenced to 81-and-a-half years by Baltimore County Circuit Judge Robert Cahill Jr., according to the Baltimore County State's Attorney's office.
In April,Howard was acquitted of charges he tried to rape and kill the woman. However, he was convicted of first-degree assault, first-degree burglary, theft and false imprisonment,
Prosecutors alleged that in April 2014, Howard posed as a worker who could fix the woman's roof. She gave him a $40 check, thinking he would go to Home Depot for supplies. Howard later returned to her home, stole blank cash and blank checks, and threw the woman to the ground, prosecutors alleged. The victim suffered a fractured hip.
Deputy Baltimore County State's Attorney John Cox called the sentence a victory for public safety. He said Cahill cited Howard's lengthy criminal history and the need to protect the elderly when he issued the sentence.
"We're pleased with the sentence," Cox said. "Judge Cahill protected the rest of us from Paul Howard."
Defense attorney Gayle L. Robinson declined to comment on specifics of the sentence, but said Howard is pursuing an appeal of his conviction.
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