By John Estridge
A Cincinnati man was charged with four felonies in Dearborn County after an alleged road rage incident on Interstate 74 near St. Leon.
Joshua V. Scheidt, Cincinnati, was charged with two counts of Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon, as Level 6 Felonies; two counts of Pointing a Firearm, as Level 6 Felonies; Intimidation, as a class A misdemeanor; and Carrying a Handgun without a License, as a class A misdemeanor.
According to an article on the Eagle Website, the victim said he was traveling on I-74 near St. Leon and moved into the passing lane to go around two semis. A black Jeep came up behind him at a high rate of speed and then tailgated him. The Jeep was allegedly operated by Scheidt. The victim alleged Scheidt, in the Jeep, passed the victim in the right-hand land and pointed a handgun out his window at the victim and his child.
Indiana State Police located Scheidt at the Indian Lakes Campground off Indiana 46 in Ripley County. According to the article, the police noticed a bulge on Scheidt’s right hip. He was detained and a .45 handgun was discovered. Scheidt also was in possession of an expired Florida concealed weapon permit, according to the article.
Apparently, there was a round in the chamber.
An initial hearing was held in Dearborn Superior Court I before Hon. Jonathan C. Cleary on Thursday, October 15. Cleary was a former assistant prosecutor in Franklin County.
Scheidt said he would hire an attorney to represent him. Bail was set at $7,500. A jury trial was set for March 8, 2021.
If convicted of a Level 6 Felony, Scheidt could receive a sentence ranging from six months to two-and-a-half years in jail. A class A misdemeanor conviction could result in up to a year in jail.