Judge Sentences Virgil Combs To 4 Years For Robbery

Lake County Common Pleas Judge Richard Collins Jr. sentenced Virgil Combs to prison Monday -- something he has done twice before.

"I sent you to prison for six of the last nine years," Collins noted to Combs during his sentencing hearing

Combs, 49, of Painesville Township, had previously at the Mentor back in January.

Combs was first sentenced to prison for four years for burglary in 2000 by Judge James Jackson, Collins' predecessor.

When he was released, it only took Combs two months to get arrested again.

Collins sentenced Combs to prison for four years on a robbery case for the first time in 2004. Combs served his sentence and it took him 15 months to get arrested again -- once again, for robbery.

He served two years on that robbery charge and got in trouble twice more after he was released. He picked up a receiving stolen property charge and another robbery charge in the span of six months in 2011 and 2012.

Collins noted that, not only did Combs always get into trouble when he was released from prison, all of his crimes had victims.

"There are victims after every time you punished," Collins told Combs. "I have to protect the public."

Combs asked for leniency. He told the judge that he struggled with addiction and wanted to get his life together.

"Am I to sacrifice another victim (to you) if I'm wrong to take a chance and it doesn't work?" Collins asked.

Consequently, Collins decided to sentence Combs to spend four years in prison. He also ordered Combs to pay $3,000 in restitution for taking silver ingots that had been stolen from a victim's house.