A 39-year-old man recently received a nine-year sentence after pleading guilty to criminal confinement in connection with an incident in December 2015 in Seymour.

As part of the plea agreement, Michael Ramon Ramos of Seymour also received sentences of one year on each of two additional charges — strangulation and domestic battery in the presence of a minor less than 16 — from Jackson Circuit Court Judge Richard W. Poynter.

Poynter suspended five years of the sentence and ordered Ramos to spend the first three years of the remaining four in prison. The fourth year is to be served on home detention. The two sentences on the other charges will be served at the same time.

The charges against Ramos stem from an incident in the 100 block of South O’Brien Street involving a woman who was reportedly the mother of his children, according to a report from the Seymour Police Department.

At the time of Ramos’ arrest, the two had been separated for some time, Detective Sgt. C.J. Foster said.

He said the investigation showed Ramos held the woman against her will for a period of time and also threatened the children not to tell anyone about the incident.

Ramos was cooperative with police during the investigation, led by Foster. As part of the investigation, police obtained a Jackson Superior Court II warrant that allowed them to search and collect evidence from the mobile home.

Ramos received 557 days of credit for time served and 192.33 days of good time credit from Poynter, who also ordered him to submit for drug and alcohol testing and to a mental health program for evaluation. He also was ordered to not have any contact with the woman while on home detention and/or probation.

Criminal confinement is a Class 3 felony punishable by three to 16 years in prison. Strangulation and domestic battery in the presence of a child less than 16 are both Level 6 felonies.

While strangulation means the act of killing by squeezing the throat, Indiana law defines it as intentionally applying pressure to another person’s throat or obstructing their nose or mouth.

At the time of his initial hearing, Ramos also was charged with rape, a Level 3 felony; Level 5 felonies of armed robbery and battery resulting in serious bodily injury; strangulation, a Level 6 felony; and a Class A misdemeanor charge of interfering with reporting a crime. Those charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.