The jury has returned with a verdict in the "Mr. Football" home invasion case.
The Canton Repository reports 20-year old Erick Howard has been found guilty of all charges related to a home invasion August 20th.He was accused of breaking into a North Canton couple's home before tying them up and robbing them.
The jury deliberated for four hours Thursday after three days of testimony.
Howard was convicted of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, kidnapping and rape and accompanying firearm specifications.
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The fate of former two time Mr Football award winner Erick Howard rests in the hand of the jury.
Closing arguments were made in Judge Taryn Heath's courtroom as the case went to the jury around 2:20 Thursday afternoon according to the Canton Repository.
Howard is accused of being one of the men involved in a home invasion robbery that took place at a North Canton apartment complex last August.
He faces charges of aggravated robbery, burglary, kidnapping and rape.
Tesimony from Michelle Foster of Canton/Stark County Crime Lab stated that Howard could be linked to the crime through DNA edvidence found inside a glove used in the crime.
One of the main questions posed in the case is the code names used during the incident, with the jury hearing one of the robbers referred to the other by the name "Steve."
Two of the men who tesfied in the case, Seth Obermiller and Michael Taylor testifed that they used code names, but Steve wasn't one of them according to Obermiller.
Howard did not testify and the defense rested without calling a witness. He faces up to 31 years in prison if convicted.
On the Web www.cantonrep.com
