Trammell receives 18 months in prison, must pay $38,000 restitution

DAYTON, Ohio (AP/WDTN) - Reverend Raleigh Trammell will spend 18-months in prison for stealing from homebound residents.  The sentence covers 51 felony counts, including grand theft, forgery and tampering with evidence.  The grand theft charge stems from a meal program for the needy who never received any food.  He must also pay $38,000 in restitution.

Trammell is a long time activist in the City of Dayton.  He headed up the local chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.  He also served as national chairperson.

Trammell's lawyers tried to get their client sentenced to probation.  They said his advanced age and congestive heart failure should keep him out of prison.  Trammell is 74-years old.  They also touched on Trammell's years of service to the community.

Judge Michael Tucker told the court, "I did not do this in a cavalier way," when explaining why he enforced a prison sentence.  He says he did take into account Trammell's service.  The judge said he received many letters in support of Trammell and two people, including a paster and former head of Standard Register, who spoke on Trammell's behalf in court Wednesday.

He must now report to jail on Wednesday, September 5 by 10:00 am.

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Background story is below:

The former national chairman of an Atlanta-based civil rights organization is in courtroom in Montgomery County to face sentencing on 51 felony charges including grand theft involving a meal program for older poor people in southwest Ohio.

The Rev. Raleigh Trammell was convicted in June in the case involving a home-delivered meals service operated from the Dayton chapter's headquarters.

A jury found Trammell guilty of one charge of grand theft and 25 counts each of forgery and tampering with government documents.

Trammell is the former national chairman of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and former president of the group's local chapter

The chapter had a contract to provide low-income senior citizens with delivered meals, which prosecutors say were paid for by county officials but not delivered.

2NEWS reporter Megan O'Rourke is in the courtroom and will have full coverage of this developing story on 2 NEWS beginning at 5:00.