- Ohio, USA -
~ Update: January 17, 2023
On Thursday, January 12, 2023, in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, 29-years-old GEORGE WILLIAM PANNO III (pictured) pleaded guilty to a charge of cruelty to companion animals, a fifth-degree felony before Judge Anthony Donofrio.
PANNO’s plea came just before jurors were to hear closing arguments in his trial.
Prosecutors said that on April 8, 2022, PANNO took his girlfriend’s dog named Diesel, to a wooded area in North Jackson, and shot the furbaby three times.
WKBN was in court and reports that “prosecutors are seeking a two-year sentence, one year for the charge as well as one year for the firearm specification." Prosecutors additionally want PANNO banned from ever owning an animal. PANNO’s defense attorney, Frank Cassese, said his client is “disagreeable” to that.
I truly hope that PANNO’s disagreement will NOT be taken into consideration! What does he need animals for since he kills them!?
Sentencing will take place after a pre-sentencing investigation.
PANNO is also serving a prison sentence of up to four and a half years on an unrelated case out of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court and prosecutors want the animal cruelty sentence to run consecutive to the one PANNO is serving in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. Cassese also said he will argue at sentencing that his client serves the prison time concurrent with his other sentence.
~ Original story:
On May 12, a Mahoning County Grand Jury has indicted 29-years-old GEORGE WILLIAM PANNO (pictured) on two felony charges of cruelty to companion animals with a firearm specification.
PANNO is accused of shooting and killing his dog, Diesel, on April 8, 2022.
Back in April, the Animal Charity of Ohio wrote in a Facebook post that PANNO had driven with Diesel from Struthers to North Jackson, he then walked Diesel into the woods, shot him three times, and walked away. According to the Animal Charity of Ohio, none of the gunshots instantly killed Diesel, but he was left to die in pain while bleeding.
Thankfully, a witness saw PANNO going into the woods with Diesel, heard gunshots, and then saw PANNO walking out of the woods alone.
The witness called 911 and within minutes the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office and a Humane Agent with the Animal Charity of Ohio responded to the scene.
PANNO was still there.
At the time, Animal Charity of Ohio wrote in a Facebook post: “Diesel’s body is now in our care and we will do everything to get justice for him. 💔
Charges will be filed once the necropsy and investigation is complete.”
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