MANSFIELD — The former mayor of Butler was found guilty of vehicular assault Monday morning.
Visiting Judge James Kimbler found Wesley Dingus, 49, guilty after he entered a no contest plea to the charge in Richland County Court. He is scheduled to be sentenced in December.
The charge stemmed from an incident that occurred in Butler in July 2025 when video footage captured a vehicle driven by Dingus striking a man twice as he fled police.
As part of a plea agreement, three other charges stemming from the incident were dismissed: a fourth-degree felony aggravated assault charge, a misdemeanor falsification charge and misdemeanor dereliction of duty charge.
Dingus had pleaded not guilty to all four charges in August 2025. A jury trial on the charges had been scheduled for Tuesday.
The victim, Anthony Ward, had a warrant out for his arrest and was arrested by local law enforcement at the scene.
While he is not listed as a party in case, special prosecutor Drew Wood said Ward had no objections to the plea deal.
Wood was appointed after the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office recused itself, as did Richland County Common Pleas Court judges.
Wood was appointed by the Ohio Attorney General’s office and Kimbler by the Ohio Supreme Court.
“It’s my understanding that the victim has no problem with this plea. Is that correct?” Kimbler asked on Monday.
Wood said, “The victim was contacted, advised of the plea, and said that he deferred to the state of Ohio.”
Ward and his grandmother, Mary Hunter, filed a separate civil suit against Dingus in federal court in July.
What’s the difference between a ‘no contest’ and a ‘guilty’ plea?
According to Visiting Judge Kimbler, there are four possible pleas to enter in a criminal trial: guilty, not guilty, not guilty by reason of insanity and no contest.
A not guilty plea denies “each and every element” of the charge.
A guilty plea is a “total admission of guilt.”
A no contest plea does not admit guilt, but it does admit the truth of the facts set forth in the indictment.
In criminal court, both a guilty plea and a no contest plea will result in a defendant being found guilty, Kimbler said.
But while a guilty plea can be used by the prosecution in related suits, a plea of no contest cannot.
“If somebody was to try to file a civil lawsuit against you for the events that took place on the date and time alleged in the indictment, they could use a guilty plea to establish your civil liability,” Kimbler told Dingus.
“The fact you entered (a no contest) plea cannot be used against you in any subsequent civil or criminal lawsuit.”
Sentencing hearing will take place next month
Vehicular assault is a fourth-degree felony in Ohio, punishable by a prison sentence of between six and 18 months, as well as a fine of up to $5,000.
Dingus’ attorney, James Mayer III, said he and the prosecution had issued a joint recommendation for probation, rather than prison time.
Kimbler, a visiting judge who retired from the Medina County Common Pleas Court, set a sentencing hearing for Dingus on Dec. 18.
“I don’t anticipate this could happen, Mr. Dingus, but it’s possible that I could order a prison sentence independent of what your attorneys recommend,” Kimbler said Monday.
“In other words, the recommendation from the counsel is recommendation, but ultimately it’s my decision whether or not to what sentence to impose. Do you understand that?”
Dingus replied, “Yes, Your Honor.”
Dingus is set to appear for a bench trial in Mansfield Municipal Court on Nov. 13, where he faces two separate, unrelated charges of voyeurism.
