Slow News day in Lima:)Bored Richey passes time on telephone

As of Nov. 29, Richey had logged 9,906 minutes of phone use from his individual cell in the Putnam County jail. The phone hangs on a wall and is similar to a payphone but inmates have to call collect, said Putnam County Sheriff James Beutler.

"He's on there a lot," Beutler said.

Richey is charged with aggravated murder and other charges. He faces the death penalty for the 1986 fire death of a 2-year-old girl in a Columbus Grove apartment complex. He has maintained his innocence. Earlier this year an appellate court overturned his conviction and ordered he be retried.

Richey entered the Putnam County jail Sept. 17. Through Nov. 29, he had made 978 calls mostly to family, friends, news media and his attorneys, Beutler said.

Calls cost the recipient $3.11 for the first minute and 36 cents for each additional minute, according to information from Correctional Billing Services, which manages the phone system for inmates at the jail.

During each collect call, Richey can talk to someone a maximum of 15 minutes before the call is automatically ended, but he can call back, Beutler said.

"Most of them, he would go the full 15 minutes," he said.

Richey has called The Lima News numerous times to talk or to be interviewed. He said he is alone and bored. He had spent more than 20 years on death row but had friends around him he could talk to, he said.

Beutler did not have information available on the phone use by other inmates but said he's sure no one would even be close to Richey.

"I would say for someone to use a couple hundred minutes is a lot," he said.

The minutes Richey has been on the phone averages to 2 hours and 14 minutes a day each day for the 74 days.

Although he's been costing the people he calls a lot he's also made money for the county. The county gets a small percentage of the money the phone company makes off each call. County records show that amount has nearly doubled since Richey entered the jail.

Records show inmate phone revenue was listed between $582 and $751 in the four months before Richey arrived. The amount jumped to more than $1,300 each month Richey was there, according to county records.

Richey also has purchased $555 in phone cards minutes through his commissary account, to which someone added money, Beutler said.