Matthew Cordle Sentenced To 6 Years In Prison
YouTube confessor Matthew Cordle was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison. The 22-year-old made headlines when his DUI confession video went viral. Despite his admission of guilt, he was convicted of driving under the influence and aggravated vehicular homicide.
In addition to the prison time, Cordle was ordered to pay a fine of $1,075 and court costs. His driving privileges were suspended for life, in accordance with Ohio law. When the YouTube confessor is released from prison, he will remain on probation for three years.
At 3 am on June 22, 61-year-old Vincent Canzani was traveling Westbound on I-160 in Columbus. Cordle entered the highway in the wrong direction, striking Canzani’s vehicle.
As reported by 10 TV, Canzani was pronounced dead at the scene. Cordle was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital. Witnesses said the 22-year-old was “very, very drunk.”
Following the accident, Matthew Cordle released a confession on YouTube. He said he wanted to take full responsibility for his behavior and warn others against driving drunk. The video was seen by more than 1 million viewers, many who expressed appreciation for the confession.
In the video, the YouTube confessor said he would turn himself in and plead guilty, against his attorney’s advice. He said he was not interested in leniency from the court, he simply wanted to raise awareness.
A Franklin County grand jury indicted Cordel nearly three months after the fatal crash. Following his attorney’s advisement, he initially plead not-guilty. He later plead guilty to both charges in an agreement with prosecutors.
Attorneys for the defense asked for a reduced sentence, as the defendant confessed and expressed remorse. Canzani’s daughter argued that the defendant has “his whole life ahead of him,” but her “father is never coming back.”
As reported by CBS News, Judge Davie Fais sentenced the YouTube confessor to six years for aggravated vehicular homicide and six months for driving under the influence. Under the maximum sentence, Matthew Cordle would have spent eight years in prison.
