Ney area man sentenced to prison for second OVI felony conviction

A Ney area man has been sent to prison, fined and given a long operator’s suspension in Defiance County Common Pleas Court after being convicted of another felony driving under the influence offense.

Judge Joseph Schmenk sentenced James Rensberger, 63, to a 36-month prison term on a charge of OVI, a third-degree felony, with credit for 20 days served in the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio while his case was pending. Rensberger also was fined $1,350 and given a 15-year operator’s license suspension.

A Defiance County grand jury indictment in June had alleged that he was found to be driving a vehicle under the influence during a traffic stop on County Road A near Ney on June 15, according to Defiance County Prosecutor Morris Murray’s office.

The charge was a third-degree felony due to Rensberger’s conviction on a previous OVI felony.

Rensberger was convicted of the third-degree felony charge in Defiance County Common Pleas Court in May 2015 when he was given a four-year prison term and a five-year operator’s license suspension. He was subsequently released from prison on early judicial release one year later in May 2016 and placed on community control.

Rensberger was represented by attorney Elizabeth Smith of Kalida during his recent sentencing hearing in common pleas court.

He had pleaded guilty to the charge in December when a pre-sentence investigation was ordered.