MILLERSBURG — Having served eight months of a two-year prison term for burglarizing the Monroe Township home of his elderly grandparents while they were on vacation, a former Dresden man on Friday was granted early release from prison.
Joshua Hostottle, 25, previously pleaded guilty in Holmes County Common Pleas Court to burglary, theft, theft from an elderly person and grand theft of a firearm. In exchange for his guilty plea, a gun specification was dismissed, eliminating a mandatory prison term.
In court, Hostottle told Judge Robert Rinfret prison was “terrible” and “I don't want to go back.”
It was a prison term imposed in June after the victim, Hostottle's grandfather, told Rinfret that incarceration was the only remedy.
“I never thought I would find myself in this position,” he said at sentencing, describing his grandson as a young man as a liar, who also has a terrible temper and a foul mouth. “He's only sorry because he was caught.”…show more content… And, while they indicated they were not opposed to an early release, they asked that it include a period of probation, to include completion of a treatment program at the Stark Regional Community Correction Center.
They also asked Rinfret to impose a no-contact order, prohibiting Hostottle from having contact with them or their property.
Their wishes were adopted by Rinfret, who placed Hostottle on five years of supervision, but said “you can work your way off that.”
“We don't want you on supervision if you're doing well,” said Rinfret, adding, “Losing your freedom is a terrible thing. Drugs are a terrible
