COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 39-year-old man charged in a 2020 fatal shooting in the Hilltop area pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on Tuesday.
According to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, 39-year-old Henry Borges also pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon while under detention.
Borges was charged with murder and possession of a weapon under disability in the Dec. 1, 2020 shooting death of 60-year-old Ricky Rittenberry. The shooting happened in the 600 block of Racine Avenue.
While awaiting trial, Borges was found with a homemade knife in jail in September 2021 and charged with the possession of a weapon while under detention.
In September 2022, Borges was convicted on the weapons charge, but the jury was not able to reach a verdict on the murder charge.
Borges’ retrial for murder began March 27 but just before the first witness was scheduled to testify the following the day, he entered guilty pleas to resolve both cases.
His guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter includes a three-year firearm specification.
Borges was immediately sentenced to the recommended 18 to 23 ½ years in prison. He has been in jail since Dec. 30, 2020, giving him 819 days of credit.
The sentence breaks down as the following:
- 11 to 16½ years in prison for voluntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, plus 3 years for the gun specification, for a total of 14 to 19½ years
- 2 years for the possession of a weapon under disability, a third-degree felony (from a previous conviction)
- 2 years for the possession of a weapon while under detention, a third-degree felony
