Hardiman sentenced for involuntary manslaughter

A Cedar Rapids man was sentenced to five years in prison for involuntary manslaughter Monday in Linn County District Court.

Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Scott says the sentence for Ramius Hardiman, 18, was suspended. Hardiman will have to serve three years of probation and he has to pay restitution of $181,284.00. The $750 fine was suspended.

Hardiman was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide after he was involved in a crash Nov. 8, 2010 that killed Jose Mendoza, 17, of Cedar Rapids.

Hardiman made an Alford plea to amended and substituted trial information charging him with involuntary manslaughter, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.

An Alford plea is when a defendant doesn't admit guilty but agrees evidence presented at a trial would be sufficient for a guilty verdict.

According to the original criminal complaint, Hardiman's alcohol concentration level was .06 when his blood specimen was taken at the hospital 2-1/2 hours after the crash. There were bottles of alcohol found in the car and at the crash scene, according to the complaint.

According to a police report, Mendoza was wearing his seat belt in the back seat of the car and Hardiman was driving as he lost control. The car rolled and hit a utility pole in the 3300 block of Cottage Grove Avenue SE. Mendoza was flown to an Iowa City hospital, where he died.