Dylan Ceglarek stood in court on Monday, apologized and asked forgiveness for his part in helping to cover up a mother’s murder.
Ceglarek, now 19, was one of two friends whom Gregory Ramos called to help him make it appear as if his house had been ransacked after Ramos strangled his mother, Gail Cleavenger, to death.
Ramos, who was 15 at the time, killed his mother on Nov. 2, 2018, after the two argued over a school grade in their home at 35 Alicante Road in DeBary. Ramos buried her body behind a church.
Ramos called Ceglarek and another friend, Brian Porras, to help him cover up the crime, investigators said.
Ceglarek on Monday was sentenced to a decade of probation. Ceglarek expressed remorse for his involvement,according to a Zoom broadcast of the hearing.
“I’m here not only to be sentenced and convicted but to say what I wanted to say from the beginning. That is: I’m sorry,” Ceglarek said. “I’m sorry for my involvement in this case. I’m sorry for the loss of Ms. Gail. I’m sorry for all the heartache that the family has gone through. I’m sorry for it all.”
Previous coverage:Ex-University High teenager who strangled his mother gets 45 years in prison
And:Ex-University High student pleads guilty to strangling mother in 2018
Ramos, who was a student at University High School at the time of the killing, also apologized at his sentencing last month in the same courtroom before Circuit Judge Sandra Upchurch.
As part of a plea agreement, Ramos was adjudicated guilty to first-degree murderand other charges and sentenced to 45 years in prison, although he could possibly be freed in 25 years since he was a juvenile at the time of the murder. Ramos was also sentenced to a lifetime of probation.
Porras, now 20, also had a hearing on Monday but it was continued. Assistant State Attorney Andrew Urbanak said he was working on a plea agreement in that case as well.
Ceglarek and Porras, who is free on bond, were each charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. They were not present when Ramos killed his mother.
Ceglarek pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of accessory after the fact to second-degree murder under the terms of the plea agreement reached by his defense attorney Michael Nappi and prosecutor Urbanak.
Ceglarek has served 828 days in the Volusia County Branch Jail, which is the amount of time required in the agreement and for which he got credit.
Ceglarek was sentenced to 10 years probation. Adjudication was withheld, meaning that Ceglarek won’t have a conviction on his record if he successfully completes probation.
Ceglarek said in court that he knew he could not change the past.
“I know that it doesn’t help with the pain, the loss and the devastation that Ms. Gail’s family feels,” Ceglarek said. “I know all of that and it weighs on me heavily, so I’m asking for your forgiveness.”
More coverage:Palm Coast man sentenced to 50 years for stabbing mother to death
And he was forgiven by Cleavenger’s sister, Ivy Wick. She spoke next and told Ceglarek that had he not cooperated with law enforcement her sister’s body would not have been found that night.
“Thank you for doing what was right even though you knew that you would be in trouble,” Wick said.
Wick went on to encourage Ceglarek.
“And I know that you were feeling so low that before this happened you had contemplated suicide,” Wick said.“If you think that the world would be better off without you in it, you are wrong,” Wick said. “If you think you are undeserving of happiness, you are wrong. If you think you can’t stand the overwhelming sense of loneliness and despair, hold on. Something better is about to happen.”
She told Ceglarek that when he walked out of jail on Monday he should do so knowing that Cleavenger thought he was a “worthy person.”
“She did not hate you,” Wick said. “She did not think you were a horrible person and I don’t think that either.”
Wick said she would give a copy of her statement to Cleavenger’s attorney to give to him.
“When you are feeling low or uncertain or bad about yourself, read this,” Wick told Ceglarek. “You are forgiven. You are deserving of better than what you have had. You are smart. You are capable. You have a future. You are not defined by your actions of November 2, 2018. You are defined by what you choose to do from this day forward.”
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.
