In criminal cases involving multiple perpetrators, courts consider the defendant's role as a ring leader or mastermind when determining sentences, with ring leaders typically receiving more severe penalties than accomplices. The court balances the seriousness of the offense, the harm caused to victims, and the defendant's criminal history when imposing sentences, while also considering mitigating factors such as the defendant's background, mental health issues, and genuine remorse.
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Polygamist Ringleader Heads to Prison for Lover's Brutal KidnappingAdded:
are here today in the matter of state of Ohio versus Martina Equidita. Case number 2550425.
Um Miss Eisenberg and Mr. Windgate are here on behalf of Miss Esquida. Uh state of Ohio um is represented by Miss Cuck.
We are here today for sentencing. Um are the parties I have the PSI. Um, I do want to place one thing on the record before we even go any further. And, uh, this happens from time to time. We'll have a lot of conversations. Um, attorneys will come to the court beforehand and ask before a case has pled for certain agreements or maybe where the court might go in a case. Now, generally, I don't do that. Um, I will not ever give specifics. The only thing that I did talk about um with the parties um is the fact that I would not absolutely give the max that means the max on each one and stack them. Um that left everything else open. Uh that conversation again was done in my chambers. Um we thought it would be important. I I know the family and forgive me I didn't think about when I put that on the record. I probably should have just put it then. It wasn't really much of a promise to be honest.
Um, but it was something that I stated and I reiterated it again. Um, and so I just want everybody in the courtroom to know and have it on the record that the court just said it would not max and stack Mrs. Guida. And so that was all that was uh put on. So I'm going to turn it over to the state of Ohio.
Your honor, just from the state's position initially, the state of Ohio would argue that the counts that the defendant fled to would not merge. Um, counts two and three represent several separate and identifiable harm. Um, as there are separate injuries as delineated in the state of Ohio's bill of particulars and pursuant to the case law, in particular, state v. Scott, which is a sixth district decision, 2014 Ohio 3044.
Further, the state of Ohio would argue that counts two and three, the felonious assaults do not merge with the kidnapping offense in this case given the prolonged and distinct nature of the kidnapping from the felonious assaults.
The state of Ohio would cite to the case law that this court is very familiar with, state of Ohio versus Emes. again six districts 2025 Ohio 2617 other than that uh the state would ask for the appropriate nollies I believe it is count two three I'm sorry four five and six I believe are the three counts that should be nollied the victim is present and they would like to make a statement to the court I believe they have um asked a relative to make a statement on their behalf Perfect. Thank you.
>> Just go ahead and state your name for the record for me.
>> Matt Cherry.
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you, Judge. I want to thank the prosecutor's office and you matter. This statement is from the victim.
Dear Judge, I am providing a statement to share with the court the impact of the assaults that happened to me those 10 days in March 2025.
At the hands of Martina, Michael, Austin, Chance, David, and Aaron on my life. I hope my words help the court understand the profound and lasting effects this event has had. These assaults have led to financial challenges due to medical bills, lost wages, and related to my recovery. I have many medical bills that are coming in due to my extensive injuries and that worries me. These burdens have added to the stress and anxiety I already feel.
Before this, I always maintained a job.
I lost at least two jobs because of Martina. Then during those two years, I couldn't work because she wouldn't let me. When I finally got free, I had so much healing to do that I still haven't been able to return to work yet.
I am thankful to my family and will never doubt their devotion to me again.
My broken bones healed in a few weeks time, but I was immobilized and physical therapy lasted much longer. I continued to have nightmares about the horrific things you and those men did to me.
Martina, because none of this would have happened had you not been the ring leader or mastermind behind every bad thing that happened.
I thought Martina was my friend. She told me she loved and cared about me. I do not believe that Martina can love and care for others as she lacks understanding of love, compassion, and honor.
I believe that this is something she will do again. And I believe the only way to keep our community and me safe is to have her locked up for as long as possible. Before Martina came back into my life, I have never met any of the other individuals involved in this situation. Once I stepped into that home on Parker Avenue, I was never talk to my family again or even keep my own cell phone. I endured the abuse from every one of these individuals for the entire two years I was held there.
Martina is deceitful, manipulative, and cruel woman who enjoyed hurting me and watching others hurt me. I pleaded with her to stop the beings that were happening to me. I was in so much pain, but she ignored my pleas and insisted that another person assault me.
I can understand why any of them did this to me. I never did anything to any of them or to the animals living in the house that I was forced to say. As a matter of fact, I've never done anything to anyone to deserve what each one of you did to me. Martina used everyone against me and I just cannot understand why. The torture I endured was unthinkable and barbaric. You didn't treat me like a human being.
I remember during the time you held me captive, you staying in response to Michael allowing me to eat and you said he can have minimal food to eat. I'm not that inhumane. I know we have to feed him something. Just like in the body cam video when you said you weren't a kidnapper and don't abduct people and you thought that was funny. None of this was funny to me.
But I do think it is a bit of karma that you spend years of your life locked up.
Judge, I ask you to give Martina as much time as possible because I truly believe she will reoffend and do this again to someone else.
She has showed zero remorse in this case. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me talk about how this event.
I do want to say, judge, as hard as that is for me, almost 30 years ago to this day, I was in a very similar situation and I was a victim of a very horrific violent crime in in judge McDonald's court at that time prosecutor man um I'm I'm 46 years old and that happened to me when I was 16 every day I live in so Austin and we're so lucky to have them but our family ask that you do the best you can Martina as much time as possible. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Mr. Cherry.
Anything else? State of Ohio?
>> No, your honor.
>> Thank you, >> Miss Eisenberg.
>> Good morning, your honor. Your honor, I'll indicate to the court that the defense agrees with the state and as much as merger is concerned.
And your honor, on behalf of Mrs. Martinez, Sweda, Martina, Mr. Windgate, and myself, I'd first like to thank the court for continuing this matter until today. Um, we really appreciate your grace and flexibility. It's not lost on us that a final resolution in this case has been long awaited, much anticipated.
Um, but those few extra days afforded us by the court or indispensable necessary um to do this right, get this right. So again, judge, thank you.
We're before the court today because back on April 30th, Martina entered a ple count of kidnapping and two counts assault wherein she did take accountability for her actions in March 2025. It was a guilty plea. And your honor, based on the facts of this case, and I know the court is aware of some of them, it's easy to understand why she chose to enter the plea rather than take this case to trial.
The facts are bad. The facts are heavy.
And quite frankly, the facts are embarrassing to all parties involved.
But I will say to the court that whereas the court knows what the facts of the case are, the court really knows nothing about Martina other than the fact that she decided to hold herself responsible, take accountability in this case by entering a plea of guilty. And again, I will say to the court, she entered that plea of guilty because she recognized she was guilty. And now I do understand that in her pre-sentence investigation report she says, "I don't think I kidnapped this man." That's true. She did not think that. But after numerous conversations with myself and Mr. Windgate, she came to understand that the legal definition of kidnapping is a different than the lay person definition of kidnapping.
And so today, she is taking accountability for her actions. However, your honor, those actions, those 10 days in March of 2025 are not the sum total of who Martina is.
As she stands before this court, she is 29 years old.
At 3 months old, her stepfather began sexually abusing her. By two, he was raping her. She was she lived in a home with her mother who did not listen to her. When she said, "Your man, my stepfather, is raping me.
until she was 9 years old. She suffered until she went to go live with her father.
Things were not much different. In fact, they were worse. Her father, a drug addict, used to sell Martina for pills.
He would dress her up as a hooker and give her away to people for money.
It wasn't until she was 14 years old, oddly enough, living in and out of hotels with her father that she made a friend at one of these hotels. And it just so happened that the friend's mother was a social worker, called children's services, and Martina was removed at 14 years old from her father's care where she was placed into foster care. Things were different.
Sexual abuse stopped, but she had nobody. She had no guidance, nobody to love her. And so I will agree with the statement that was just made about Martina. She does not understand love because she has never felt it.
Neither of her parents, none of her extended family. She has been she stands here with me and Mr. wind gate. But quite frankly, she's well sits here just as alone as she's lived her entire life.
After she got out of foster care at 8 or yes, at 18, she decided to strike it out on her own.
She decided to go and try to build the family that she never had.
Albeit, she did not choose the right people.
But how could she know with this type of background? And I will also say she has many mental health issues. Some of which genetic biological chemical imbalances are brain in her brain. Some of these issues come from the situations that she experienced in her life.
So with this background, your honor, what type of life was Mrs. Sweda expected to have.
These were the cards she was dealt and she had to play the hand the best she could.
It became a matter of choices and she made a lot of wrong choices. And your honor, she will tell you that she made a lot of wrong choices.
But what can a person like her do but make bad choices when nobody has shown her what is right?
As a matter of fact, quite the opposite.
The people who were supposed to love her, the people who are supposed to support her, the people who are supposed to help her grow, they broke her.
She was broken at an early age. And that fissure just continued to get wider and wider as she got older. And all of these life experiences piled up.
and she had no coping skills, no support system to help her deal with them.
And your honor, I would like to make be very clear that in making these statements, it is neither my purpose nor my intention to hold Martina out as the real victim in this case. There is only one real victim in this case. That is Austin Mlelen. Not only do I wholeheartedly recognize that, but the court will hear from Martina. You'll hear from her very own mouth. She recognizes that, too.
And you know, your honor, as a matter of fact, as she sits before you today, Martina is not a victim. She is not a victim of any circumstance which she has faced. No, Martina is a survivor. By all accounts, Martina is a survivor.
and she will address the court today.
And as has been the case throughout her entire life, most people aren't going to want to hear what she has to say.
But it is so important that we listen.
This is the life of somebody who has been silenced, written off, discounted, discarded.
And perhaps had someone taken a moment to listen to Martina all that time ago to really hear her and do right by her, we would not be standing before the court today.
And finally, I began on a note of gratitude, and I would like to end on one.
I'd like to thank the court for appointing me to Martina's case. I'm not sure if the court recalls, but on the day I was appointed, I was a little hesitant to accept the appointment. Um, in light of everything I was hearing, I just was not sure that I could handle a client like Martina.
But your honor, I am so glad that I gave Martina and this case a chance because that is just not an accurate account of who this young woman is. She is so much more than a sensationalized headline.
She is a human being. She's a human being just like you and me. And that also makes her flawed.
She is flawed. and she's fragile, but all she can ever do is try to be a better person tomorrow than she is today.
I believe she is on that path now. While she has been in the jail, she has taken a full um or has accessed all of the resources available to her, counselors, any classes. She has a bunch of certificates that I'm going to collect before you depending on what the court does if she's sent to the institution before she is sent. So I do believe she is on that path now. She is ready and willing to accept the consequences of her actions and use this experience as a stepping stone for growth and for healing.
I myself am very very proud of Martina and it's been a privilege to represent her and serve as her voice for the last 14 months. But I do think she's ready to amplify her own voice, your honor, and advocate for herself if the court would allow her >> Yes.
>> to make a statement.
>> Thank you, Mrs. Skua.
>> Your honor, would it be all right if >> she can sit?
I have apology letter. Um, I want to start off by giving you a huge apology from the bottom of my heart. I take full accountability for my actions and the role I parttook in all of this. I know mentally you will have to deal with this for the rest of your life. And for that I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I caused you so much pain mentally, physically, and very much emotionally. I should have stepped up and put a stop to all this.
And I'm sorry I did not. I was a coward.
I was a big coward to do so.
I should have not been a I should have been a friend when you needed me, not be the one to knock you down when you're already down. I do not expect you to accept my apology. I deserve to sit and think about my behavior and my actions.
I also want to admit I was a monster and I'm sorry because I know that's not the person you knew me when you first met me. I also want to apologize to your family. I am so sorry for all the pain and hurt I have done to all of you. I made you guys worry and made you guys cry. If I was in your shoes and that was my baby, I'd feel the same way.
I'm so sorry. for all of you and I do take accountability. None of you needed to feel pain in your hearts. I'm so sorry, Austin and family. If I could take it all back, none of this would have happened. I'm so sorry that I brought you around that dangerous situation. When it rains, of course, and I was the lightning that struck and hurt you. I'm so sorry when you called out for help, I ignored it because I should have called 911, but I was too afraid and selfish. You tried your hardest let me know you cared about me, but all I did was stab you in the back and cause pain. I am so sorry for all the hurt I caused you and your family and all the pain and all the suffering you all had to face because of my poor choices and actions for all of this. I am so sorry from the bottom of my heart, my deepest apologies.
>> Thank you.
Well, obviously the court has had a chance to read quite a bit about this case as um I've already sentenced four of the codefendants in this matter. Um, and of course, you know, as everyone had a pres-sentence investigation, you know, there's obviously, you know, some fingerpointing and and and I understand that the codefendants didn't want to probably necessarily take responsibility for their part, but I will say there was one thing consistent throughout all of them, and that that was that Martina Esquea was the leader of I'm gonna say it. I mean, this was this in all ways is a cult. Now, not giant cult, but it was like a small cult. Um, seems like people came out, but you weren't or people came in, but you weren't allowed to leave. And so, there's things that the court has to take consider consideration of first. I got to take into consideration she has no priors. Um, but man, this was on another level for a first set of offenses. Um, I understand that you've been diagnosed with, you know, PTSD, depression, anxiety. Um, it sounds like you got a diagnosis. And, um, I don't know if your council told you, I spent the first nine years of my career prosecuting people that raped and abused children.
So, interestingly, some of those youth have found me on Facebook and and keep up with me and still thank me for taking care of what I did. you didn't get that chance to have anybody pay for what they did to you. However, what I say is um with or without counseling and you knew you had issues. You've been an adult for a long time. You're 29, you know, um and so there's got to be some responsibility taken by you to treat and take care of things uh that happened to you in your past and deal with them.
But you didn't follow up and you rejected all the recommendations. That's right in the PSI.
I mean, the victim stated clearly that you called all the shots, directed the others to assault him. Um, and you also assaulted him with fists and a bat, hit him in the head with a frying pan. Um, he had fractured ribs, a fractured sternum, and a fractured fibula.
That's a lot of beatings. Um, and the assaults were the tip of the iceberg. The conditions of the place that you kept him in were disgusting. I mean, you were all living there as well.
Um, you kept him from food, didn't let him use the bathroom when he needed. I mean, those are all things that go way beyond that physical pain of breaking bones. Those are things that get in there psychologically.
And as someone who's been through this, what you chose to do rather than take your trauma and maybe want to some people help other people um some people, you know, try to make the world a better place because of what they dealt with.
Um you instead turned that on this victim in this case.
Um, and so I I will say I appreciate you taking responsibility here in the courtroom. Um, you know, you did say in the PSI that you others were trying to make you into a monster. I'm not going to use that word, but it's just not a legal terminology. I'm not sure that that fits. However, I I guess what I want to take from that is um that you're at least deflecting and saying they're blaming you. And there's nothing in anything that I have read so far that doesn't show that you were in fact the rel the ring leader in this whole thing.
Presumption uh of prison um is here for felony of the first degree, two felonies of the second degree. Um there's nothing all prior conviction is the only thing you have going for you that takes it out of the presumption. Um there's nothing else about any fact of this case uh that gives this court any hesitation um in not overcoming that pres or and not in overcoming the presumption the other way. This case really has kind of sickened the court.
Um and you know you have PTSD for what you went through.
You can't even imagine what this person, this victim is going to go through for every day of the rest of his life.
Hopefully, there'll be days where he doesn't think about it.
You clearly had control over these men um who then did your bidding for you.
Um, so it doesn't erase your your mental health problems. Um, and again, we can feel bad about your beginnings and still recognize that there needs to be punishment. um and rehabilitation and accountability for the things that you did to this person.
Now, you already know what it's I I know you know what I've sentenced your codefendants to. And so, I made sure I looked at all those each case. I I don't just pick a number, you know, I try to thoughtfully figure out what is appropriate in the sentencing. Um, and I I'm going to start right by now, right here and now by saying there's no way you get any less than the one who had the highest, which was Michael, your husband, because you were the ring leader. I've seen nothing that that counter that counters that.
It's almost like when I hear about your past, it was almost like you took all that trauma and you just threw it in rather than again taking accountability and maybe getting some help for it, you you threw it against somebody else and you put them in the same position that you were in um albeit for a shorter time, but it's still significant.
Sensing hearing having been held pursuant to revised code 292919.
Defendant afforded all rights pursuant to criminal rule 32. Oh, I'm sorry.
It's the first thing I should have done.
Um I believe Miss Eisenberg has it.
>> Approach.
>> Yep. And that's all right. I just got started. I do have to read this out loud. Mrs. Quita, I know you just went through. Thank you, Miss Eisenberg. All right. Um this is a notice of duties to enroll as a violent offender by law.
Although I know that uh Miss Eisenberg probably just read this whole thing uh with and to Miss Esqueida. Um, I have to read it out law out loud by law. So, you've been convicted or pleaded to a qualifying violent offender offense as defined in 2903.41.
You're required to enroll in person with the sheriff of the county in which you establish residency within 10 days of coming into that county or if occupying a dwelling for more than three days in the county. You're required to provide the sheriff certain information including your social security number, full name, any aliases you use, your resident's address, information regarding the offense of which you were convicted or pleaded guilty, a description of any scars, tattoos, or other distinguishing marks on your person, the name and address of any place where you are employed or attend school. any driver's license number, commercial driver's license number, or state identification card number issued issued to you. The license plate number of each vehicle owned or operated by you or registered in your name. The vehicle identification number and description of the vehicle must also be be provided to the sheriff.
You're required to provide the sheriff fingerprints and palm prints. The sheriff will also obtain a photograph of you at the time of enrollment. After that date of initial en enrollment, you are required to reenroll annually. You must update or amend any of the information described above that has changed and provide any additional information requested at the county sheriff's office within 10 days of the anniversary of the calendar date on which you initially enrolled.
If you change your residence address, you shall provide written notice of that change to the sheriff with whom you most recently enrolled and to the sheriff in the county in which you intend to reside. You're required to comply with all of the above described requirements for a period of 10 years.
Since your expected residence is Lucas County, you shall enroll in person no later than 10 days after release from incarceration.
with that county uh sheriff's located at 1622 Spielbush, Toledo, Ohio 43604.
Failure to enroll or failure to verify residence at the specified times will result in criminal prosecution.
Um and I see your signature or what I believe is your signature. Is that your signature, Mrs.?
>> Yes.
>> And you went through this with Miss Eisenberg?
>> Yes.
>> All right. Do you have any questions about that form?
>> All right. We'll get you a copy of that.
All right.
Sorry when I start on right now. It's just one.
>> All right. Thank you. Sentencing hearing having been held pursuant to 292919.
Defendant afforded all rights pursuant to criminal role 32. The court has considered the record, oral statements, any victim impact statement and the PSI prepared as well as the principles and purposes of sentence under 292911.
Court has balanced the seriousness and recidivism factors under 292912.
You're advised that you do have the right to appeal the plea. Such appeal must be filed within 30 days of sentence. If you wish to appeal but are unable to afford the cost of doing so, relevant documents required for the appealing council would be provided to you without cost. The court finds you did enter a plea of guilty on April 30th, 2026. You were found guilty by this court of count one kidnapping 29051 A3 and C1 felony of the first degree.
Counts two and count three, felonious assault. Both violations of 2903.11A1 and D1 little A. Both of them are felonies of the second degree. I will make a note that these um are certainly not cases that would run or that uh would merge. Uh the court spelled out the broken bones um and the actions uh that took place in these felonious assaults. Um and clearly there are there could be more than the felonious assaults that uh Mrs. Quita pled to court finds the defendant is not immunable to community control. Prison is consistent with the purposes of 292911.
Um, therefore, it's ordered that the court will um that the defendant serve a sentence as follows. And I'm going to say this one thing. Obviously, nothing is going to make this better for the family. Nothing is going to make this better for the victim. I say that um even in a murder case, none of it is going to make you hold uh before those 10 days occurred. Um, and the court certainly took into consideration the other sentences and Miss Esquea, Mrs. Esqueida's role in what happened.
As to count one, kidnapping, the court sentences Mrs. Esquida uh for a period of eight, minimum eight years, maximum 12 years. On count two, uh, the court sentences Mrs. and count three um 7 years um to 10 and a half years.
The sentences are ordered to be served consecutively to another. This is being necessary to fulfill the purposes of 292911 292914E and not disproportionate to the seriousness of the offender's conduct or the danger the offender poses. The court further finds to protect the public from future crime or to punish the offender.
At least two of the multiple offenses were committed as part of one or more courses of conduct. And the harm caused by two or more of the multiple offenses committed was so great or unusual that no single prison term for any of the offenses committed as part of any of the courses of conduct adequately affects the seriousness of the offender's conduct. So, this makes for a sentence of um if I'm adding this correctly, 22 to 26 years, pursuant to revised code 2929 B2 Little G, the defendant must not ingest or be injected with a drug of abuse, must submit to drug testing, the results of which must be negative. As a result of the felony conviction, the defendant is never able to use, receive, purchase, own, transport, or otherwise possess a firearm or ammunition. Any violation is punishable as a felony offense. You're further ordered to submit DNA testing pursuant to 290107.
You may be eligible to earn days of credit under the circumstances specified in 2967.193.
These days are not automatic. They must be earned in the manner provided for in that section. Aggregate days under the section shall not exceed 8% of the total days of the state of prison term.
Defendant is also advised pursuant to Senate Bill 2011 and revised code 2929/119B2 little C 2967.271.
We talked about this as at your plea.
There's a rebuttable presumption um that you are released at the minimum sentence. That is your sentence. It is your actions down in the institution that could add to that maximum sentence.
What happens is if you get in trouble down there, they do something that you break their rules, they can have a hearing. It doesn't have anything to do with the court. As I said at the plea, ODRC has a hearing. They take into consideration what your charges are, what your security level is down there, uh what you did to get in trouble, um and any other factors. And they can rebut that presumption. They can actually do this more than once. You can get in trouble, they can add time. You get trouble again, they can add more time. Um they can do this as many times as they want. What they can't do is you cannot be kept past that maximum amount of time after prison release. Post-release control in this case is mandatory. Uh not less than two years, not more than five years. That's on uh the felony of the first degree. Uh the two felonies of the second degree also carry post-release control, but those aren't consecutive terms. So you will be put on supervision for two to five years.
During that time, if you get in trouble on postrelease control, they can send you back, and I mean the parole board, up to nine months for each violation for up to 50% of what I just stated. Um, if you get a new felony uh while on that post-release control, you can be returned for the remaining period of control or one year, whichever is greater, get a prison sentence on the new crime, and that can be made consecutive to each other.
Defendant is ordered convey to the custody of the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. you are going to receive credit for 423 days.
Um, as of this date along with future custody days while waiting transportation to the appropriate state institution. Um, as I always do with a sentence of this uh length, I'm going to wave all fines and court costs. I will pursuant to the plea agreement nollie four, five, and six. Anything else, Miss Mr. >> Nothing further from the defense, your honor.
>> Anything else, Miss Cuck?
>> No, your honor. Thank you.
>> All right. I wish everybody luck. I wish you luck. I wish the family luck. I wish the victim luck. Thank you.
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