Former LCSO deputy guilty of beating man waits for federal sentence

FORT MYERS, Fla.- A sentencing hearing for Michael Ronga on Monday ended without a sentence, running too long for a judge to hear all evidence and arguments.

In September, Ronga was found guilty of civil rights violations and obstruction of justice. Authorities say he punched a man, and robbed him of his cellphone in May 2013, while making anti-immigrant statements.

In court on Monday, prosecutors and the defense argued for three hours over what the sentence should be. A majority of the arguments focused on pictures taken from Ronga’s cellphone, showing him in front of Nazi-related images.

Several images showed Ronga holding a gun. Prosecutors said the images spoke to Ronga’s character. But the defense called the pictures a “character assassination,” saying Ronga had always been a law-abiding citizen.

Ronga’s hearing will pick back up on Dec. 9. He could face 12 years in prison.