Man imprisoned for fatal crash withdraws motion for early release

The Euclid man who was seeking a reduction for his 18-year prison sentence stemming from a 2007 crash that killed an Eastlake man on his 21st birthday will not have an early release hearing after all.

Mario Redding, 31, was scheduled to appear before Cuyahoga County Pleas Court Dick Ambrose July 12, but his attorneys asked for additional time for research. The hearing was rescheduled for July 20 and then Aug. 3, but will now not be happening at all. Redding withdrew his motion seeking early release Aug. 2.

Redding is now more than a decade into his sentence. In July 2007, Redding ran a stop sign and crashed into Edmund “Eddy” Roland’s Honda motorcycle. Roland was thrown from his bike at the corner of E. 186th Street and St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland and died from his injuries in the hospital. Redding was out on bond on a pending drug case and was driving without a license. He fled the scene without stopping.

Redding pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and unrelated counts of trafficking in crack cocaine and possession of crack. He has been in prison since Dec. 6, 2007.

During his time in prison, Redding racked up more than 79 infractions according to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, including for threatening the lives of officers, cell phone violations and drug offenses.

Redding, however, was arguing that he’s a changed man. He filed his first motion for judicial release in December 2016, but was denied without a hearing based on his multiple convictions and a negative institutional support. He was granted another hearing by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge after he has not received a rule infraction ticket at Warren Correctional Institution since Jan. 18, 2017.

“Mr. Redding is now (31) years old and is no longer the irresponsible kid who made poor decisions and broke the law,” Redding’s defense attorney Paul Daiker wrote in the motion seeking early release. “Mr. Redding has learned that his past behavior and bad choices are not the path that he would like to take

to live out the rest of his life. Mr. Redding has begun the process of putting a premium on his family and becoming a productive member of society upon his release from prison.”

In his request for early release, Redding listed a series of certificates and letters he obtained while serving in prison. Some of those documents, however, have been forged. The discrepancies were first discovered by Roland’s brother Jeff Cook of Mentor. Cook had previously worked at Lake Erie Correctional Institution. While working there, he overheard inmates talk about forging certificates. After Redding filed his request for early release, Cook began his own investigation into the documents and fond that at least four had been falsified.

Documents from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office confirm there were inaccuracies on at least four of the records Redding provided.

Cook’s discovery has led to a statewide investigation Ohio Highway Patrol into document falsifications.

“I’m extremely happy that he’s being sent back to prison,” Cook said, adding that he wanted to thank the work the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office did on the case.

Equipped with a thick binder, Cook was prepared to speak at the July 12 hearing. He said he wanted to confront Redding about the falsified certificates.

“I was looking forward to seeing him again and having a few words about what happened,” he said.

NEWS-HERALD FILE Jeff Cook, right, the brother of the late Edmund Roland shows a photograph of Roland to his killer, Mario Redding, center, along with defense attorney Paul Daiker after reading a prepared statement during Redding’s sentencing in the Cuyahoga County...