HAMILTON — A Hamilton man who defended himself on more than 20 felony charges was convicted and sentenced Wednesday evening to more than 25 years in prison.

The jury deliberated about 31/2 hours before returning at 6 p.m. with guilty verdicts on all counts. Lonnie Rarden, 37, listened quietly as Butler County Common Pleas Judge Michael Sage read the list of 23 counts and gave the jury's verdict after each.

Rarden showed little emotion, occasionally rocking back and forth in his chair.

Sage, calling Rarden "a very dangerous individual," sentenced him to 261/2 years in prison. Before the sentence was imposed, Rarden said "I think the jury was wrong."

He was found guilty of escape, retaliation, two counts of complicity to perjury, complicity to tampering with evidence, menacing by stalking and 17 counts of violating a protection order.

According to prosecutors, Rarden conspired with girlfriend Christina Hurst in a staged knife attack that landed former girlfriend Emily Anderson in jail. The plot was hatched in retaliation for a three-year prison sentence Rarden is facing after a menacing and domestic violence conviction in which Anderson was the victim, prosecutors said.

While in jail, Rarden also sent threatening letters to Anderson and attempted to escape by plotting to have criminal tools smuggled into the Butler County Jail, prosecutors said.

Lori Buchann, a friend of Rarden, said he did not deserve the hefty sentence, noting he did not rape or murder anyone.

Assistant Prosecutor Lance Salyers said Rarden's "lawyering" was not his downfall, it was the evidence against him.

"He didn't have a lot to work with," Salyers said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2841 or lpack@coxohio.com.