The man who led beard- and hair-cutting attacks on other Amish in Ohio was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison, the Associated Press reported.
From the AP:
Before his sentencing, Samuel Mullet Sr. told Judge Dan Aaron Polster in Cleveland that he had been blamed for running a cult and was ready to take the punishment. Polster also sentenced 15 other Amish to prison terms ranging from one to seven years.
Mullet, his ankles in chains and a white beard down to mid-chest, said if his community is seen as a cult, “Then I’m going to take the punishment for everybody.”
With relatives of victims and his family sitting on opposite sides of the public gallery, Mullet said he has lived his life trying to help others.
“That’s been my goal all my life,” Mullet, 67, said to a hushed courtroom, with his fellow defendants and their attorneys sitting at four defense tables and filling the jury box.
“I’m not going to be here much longer,” said Mullet, who didn’t elaborate on any health issues.
