CLEVELAND — A woman who faced charges connected to the 2020 murder of Cleveland Police Det. James Skernivitz will serve more than a year behind bars.
Brittany Cremeans, 24, pleaded guilty last month to two counts of obstructing justice and one count of tampering with evidence in the case. On Tuesday, Cuyahoga County Judge Michael P. Shaughnessy sentenced the Cleveland resident to 18 months in prison for her crimes.
Skernivitz and an informant, 50-year-old Scott Dingess, were shot and killed on Sept. 3, 2020, while preparing for a drug sting near West 65th Street and Storer Avenue. Three people were indicted on homicide charges, while Cremeans and 27-year-old Antonio Darby were both accused of lesser offenses.
Of the three individuals charged with murder, a 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty last year in juvenile court and received a conditional six-year sentence, which could be extended to a lifetime adult sentence if he does not behave himself while behind bars. A second defendant, 19-year-old Kevin Robinson, also pleaded guilty and will serve 28 years to life in prison. Robinson was 17 at the time of Skernivitz's death, but was tried as an adult.
The third homicide suspect, 21-year-old David McDaniel, has been held in the Cuyahoga County Jail on a $3 million bond since his arrest. Due to multiple procedural delays, his trial is not expected to begin until March of 2023, and he could potentially face the death penalty.
Skernivitz, a 25-year veteran of the Cleveland Division of Police, was survived by his wife and three children. The 53-year-old was laid to rest during a funeral service at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, with then-U.S. Attorney General William Barr among those in attendance.
Like Cremeans, Antonio Darby also faces obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence charges. The start of his trial is currently slated for next month.
