Judge grants early release for Youngstown man convicted of shooting woman

Charles Berger

A Youngstown man sentenced in 2021 for shooting a woman during a domestic argument was granted judicial release Wednesday, effective immediately.

Charles Berger, 57, was released from prison after Mahoning County Common Pleas Judge John Durkin sustained his motion for judicial release. Berger will now serve two years of community control under the Adult Parole Authority.

Berger was sentenced in August 2021 to a total of five to six years in prison after pleading guilty to felonious assault and a firearms charge. The charges stemmed from a May 5, 2020, incident on Cassius Avenue where Berger shot a woman during an argument. The victim recovered from her injuries.

Judge Durkin's original sentencing ordered Berger to first serve three years on the firearms charge before beginning an additional two to three years for the felonious assault conviction.

Berger would not have been eligible for parole for another 11 months.