Anthony Kearns has pleaded guilty in the November 2022 shooting deaths of Abraham Pucheta and Javier Luna as part of a plea agreement with the state.

The Portsmouth man was originally indicted on two counts of murder, but pleaded down to two counts of involuntary manslaughter with two gun specifications. Kearns appeared before Scioto County Court of Common Pleas Judge Howard H. Harcha III on Friday, July 7.

“Due to the need for a court interpreter for the victims’ families in this case, we’re going to set it for sentencing on July 12 at 2 p.m,” Harcha said.

While the official sentencing is set for next week, the judge did detail what that would look like for Kearns.

On the first count of involuntary manslaughter, Kearns will be sentenced to 11 to 16.5 years in prison; the second count of involuntary manslaughter, he will be sentenced to 11 years. There is a mandatory six years to be served for the two gun specifications, each of which carries a mandatory three-year prison sentence.

Both the state and the defendant agreed to the sentencing terms, and the sentences will run consecutively.