A Niles man has pled guilty to an attempted strangulation charge on Thursday.

According to a press release, 35-year-old Daren Wilson was among the first Ohioans to be charged under the state's new strangulation law, which makes strangulation a felony. The law went into effect in April of 2023.

Wilson was originally indicted on charges of strangulation and domestic violence. However, as part of a plea deal, the domestic violence charge was dismissed and the strangulation charge was reduced to attempted strangulation, a fourth degree felony.

The charges stem from an incident in March when Wilson and his girlfriend had a disagreement over a text message Wilson was sending.

Police say Wilson pushed his girlfriend to the floor, grabbed her from behind and choked her until she eventually blacked out.

Wilson will be subject to a background investigation conducted by Trumbull County probation officers before being sentenced. He could face a maximum of 18 months in prison.