Man given nearly 8 years for shooting, drug charges

NEWARK - A man has been sentenced to nearly eight years in prison after being found guilty of shooting a man last year and possessing drugs. 

Kortlan Hess, 24, of Heath, was convicted Tuesday of charges of felonious assault, discharging a firearm on prohibited premises, having weapons under disability, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and multiple drug charges. 

Judge David Branstool sentenced Hess to seven years and nine months in prison. 

According to court records, Hess shot a man on South Webb Street in Newark in October 2015. The man recovered from his injuries. 

Hess was arrested in February after crashing a vehicle near North Fifth and Granville streets, officials said. A sealed arrest warrant had been filed after the October 2015 shooting, and Hess was taken into custody. 

Hess had posted bond in the shooting case and had been out on bond before being arrested again in May, this time while reportedly possessing methamphetamine, hydrocodone, oxycodone and a small amount of marijuana. 

The drug charges stem from that arrest. 

Hess had been scheduled to go to trial for the charges related to the shooting Tuesday morning. He entered guilty pleas in both cases instead. 

Hess also had a previous conviction for illegal cultivation of marijuana and had previously served time in prison.