Vienna man, caught lying about military service, pleads guilty to strangulation
A Vienna man will be spending time behind bars for strangulation and other charges after it was discovered he was lying about his military service.
Kotey Paden, 31, pleaded guilty to third-degree strangulation and misdemeanor offenses of domestic violence and endangering children this week after an earlier testimony of his was called into question for being false.
Paden testified that he was a combat veteran serving in the U.S. military overseas. However, a tip alerted the Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office to the holes in his testimony and it was discovered that not only had Paden lied about serving overseas, he was also dishonorably discharged because of criminal offenses.
Once it was discovered he lied about his record, Paden pleaded guilty.
The trial stems from an incident where Paden struck a woman and choked her while holding her son while they were at Paden's residence in 2023, according to court records.
Additionally, Paden is on the veterans docket for a felony case in Mahoning County involving aggravated vehicular assault.
Judge Cynthia Rice ordered Paden to undergo a background investigation conducted by the probation department.
Sentencing will be at a later date.