TOLEDO, Ohio — A Toledo City Council candidate is responding after reports surfaced that as a juvenile he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in a fatal shooting.
Council candidate Younes "Tony" Dia fatally shot another teen to death in 1986 when he was 16 years old, court records show.
According to the Lucas County Juvenile Court documents, the 16-year-old Dia shot a 17-year-old with a .25-caliber pistol during an argument on Sept. 14, 1986. The victim later died from injuries. Dia now says that he fired the shot in self-defense.
Some family of the shooting victim in the case, Ivan Lambrecht Jr., said they believe Dia's misdeeds should not be dredged up to harm him.
"We don't feel as though a person should be condemned for a mistake that happened more than 30 years ago. He raised a quality young man. It's a tragedy that happened, but he did his time," a statement from Lambrecht's family read.
After the statement was given to WTOL 11, another side of the family reported to other local media outlets that they disagreed with the statement that was given.
On Thursday, the Dia campaign accused The (Toledo) Blade, which first published the report, with colluding with the campaign of Katie Moline, his rival for the council seat.
Moline said she was shocked at what she read in the news report and said her campaign didn't have a role in the article.
“The first time I heard of this as a true story was this morning when I read it published in The Blade," Moline said Thursday. “I’m so focused on my campaign not his. “I want to get my message of my values of accountability, transparency and ethics out which is what I think Toledo voters care about.”
Josh Culling, spokesman for the Dia campaign, told Dia's side of the story in a statement.
"In a last-minute attempt to discredit Tony Dia’s winning campaign for council and destroy his lead in the polls, the Toledo Blade is clearly partnering with the Moline campaign to dig up decades-old sealed court records, possibly illegally.
"We would have appreciated the opportunity to tell our side of the story, but unfortunately Tony was contacted via text message at 9:19 am for a story that was published at 9:21 am this morning.
"Because we were not afforded the same opportunity as the Moline campaign to tell our story via the Blade, we will do so now:
"In 1986, a young Muslim immigrant and his friends were attacked on the North End of Toledo. In the course of that attack, that young man, Tony Dia, fired in self-defense.
"During the investigation into that incident, Tony was pressured into a plea deal, which he took rather than risk the rest of his life at the hands of a criminal justice system that is stacked against men like him.
"This is a story that takes place in America every day. It is a story that is very often not covered in the media or understood by the general public.
"And now it is a story that is being used by Katie Moline, corrupt Democrats and our city’s paper of record to smear an immigrant, small business owner, and Toledoan who’s only current crime is running against the Good Ole Boys Club in One Government Center."
Juvenile records can be sealed unless they deal with charges of rape, aggravated murder and murder.
When reached for comment, Moline didn't say outright whether she thought Dia should withdraw from the race or not, but said she believes he'll make "the right decision. She called his past very troubling and found it concerning as both a citizen and a council member.
"I read the story and think it’s crazy and I’m at a loss for words about what I read. It’s shocking," she said.
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Documents show prosecutors wanted to try Dia as an adult, but the request was denied and the case remained in juvenile court. Dia waived his right to a hearing on probable cause, which set in motion the court determining it was likely that the crime occurred.
Dia then pleaded to voluntary manslaughter and received a minimum sentence of at least one year and up to the age of 21 to be served at the Ohio Department of Youth Services. He granted early release on Sept. 11, 1987.
Dia came to public prominence after the line of duty death of his son, Toledo Police Officer Anthony Dia, on July 4. Officer Dia, 26, was responding to a call in the parking lot of Home Depot on Alexis Road early in the morning of July 4. He was shot in the chest and killed by an intoxicated man holding a beer, police said.
Tony Dia announced his intent to run for city council in the parking lot of that same Home Depot on Aug. 6.