WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – A man accused of lying about his military status during his trial is now facing a perjury charge.
A Trumbull County grand jury returned an indictment Thursday against Kotey Paden, 32.
Paden is at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient after he was sentenced to serve two years in prison after pleading guilty to a third-degree strangulation charge as well as misdemeanor offenses of domestic violence and endangering children.
Paden had testified in his defense during that case that he was a combat veteran while serving in the U.S. military overseas, but acting upon a tip, Assistant Prosecutor Gabriel Wildman said he called Herman Breuer, director of the county’s Veteran Services Commission, to investigate Paden’s military record.
That investigation found that Paden was dishonorably discharged from service because of criminal offenses and that he didn’t serve overseas, according to Wildman.
Paden decided to make the plea in the middle of his jury trial.
