Man Attacks Wife’s Heroin Dealer – Community Supports Him

It’s the winter of 2015. Edwin Sobony, his wife Marie, and their five children live in a house in Hamilton, Ohio. Marie’s cousin Larry is a heroin dealer, and he sometimes supplies her with it. Edwin hates that his wife does heroin, and tells Larry repeatedly to stay away. He continues to show up with the drug, and one day, Edwin catches them using in the bathroom together. He is fed up.

On December 9th, Edwin goes to the local police station and is told he should “obtain a civil protection order” against Larry, according to the Dispatch. Later that same day, Edwin takes matters into his own hands… literally. He retrieves an aluminum baseball bat from his garage and sends Larry to the hospital with multiple skull fractures. He does not hide from the law.

The Legal Aftermath

In court, Edwin’s lawyer, Sam Shamansky, fully supports him. Shamansky displays the bat and says to the jurors, “You come and mess with one of my family members and stick that poison in their veins… I’m going to take pleasure in splitting your head open.” However, Edwin is found guilty of one count of felony assault. He faces 2-8 years in prison. The sentencing will be held on November 2nd, 2016.

Judge Charles Schneider presided over the trial, and in his twelve years as a judge had received plenty of letters supporting defendants before their trials, “but not the numbers I’ve received on this case,” he said, again according to the Dispatch. “The reaction in the community was immediate, and it’s because this community has had it with drugs.”

On top of the letters sent to Judge Schneider, support for Edwin showed up online. In just one day, Edwin’s story produced over 400 comments on the Dispatch’s website. The judge read the comments, and said they were mostly from people “wanting to pay his legal bills, wanting to post his bond if I put him in jail.”

Edwin was given two years probation for a 2-8 year crime. Judge Schneider said this, which says it all: “Vigilante justice is not supported by the court. But the people in this community have just had it.”

Community Support (and why)

Ohio is one of the states suffering the most from America’s heroin epidemic. As reported by CBS, heroin kills 23 Ohioans every single week. Below is a picture of the “death wall” in Columbus, where people write the names of heroin victims. Law enforcement is doing everything they can, but the fact remains that over three people die in Ohio every day from heroin.

Edwin Sobomy did something very violent, very questionable, and very illegal. However, he also did something perhaps all of us wish we could do and get away with. If anything, Edwin’s story shows us that America is not willing to give up the fight.

As one people, we want this epidemic to end. Even those people afflicted with heroin addiction, heck, especially those people most likely want to stop. If you or a loved one is struggling with heroin please seek help immediately. We at Arrow Passage Recovery are here to help you with your heroin addiction.

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