An Ironton area man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday in connection with a shooting last year that left another man in a wheelchair.

Floyd McCann, 51, of 38 Township Road 203 W. Ironton, entered an Alford plea of guilty to one count of second-degree felonious assault with a firearm specification.

An Alford plea means that, while McCann maintains a certain level of innocence, he admits the offer made to him was in his best interest.

His victim, Mark Robinson, 40, of 750 State Route 650, Ironton, was in the courtroom when McCann was sentenced.

McCann may be eligible for judicial release after serving eight years but will serve four years probation after he is released.

Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge D. Scott Bowling reserved two years in prison in addition to the probation. If McCann gets in trouble while he is on probation he will go back to prison for two years.

Bowling said he accepted McCann’s plea with the full cooperation of Robinson, a point also made by Assistant Lawrence County Prosecutor Bob Anderson.

During the court proceeding Friday, McCann turned to Robinson and apologized for what had happened. Robinson pleaded with McCann to get help for his substance abuse and mend his ways.

McCann had maintained previously he had never intended to shoot anyone and that the incident was accidental.

In exchange for McCann’s plea on the felonious assault charge, one count of having a weapon under a disability was dismissed.

Because McCann was a convicted felon, he was not supposed to have the gun he used to shoot Robinson in the first place.

Robinson was shot once in the back with a .22-caliber rifle outside his residence in January 2009. Robinson reportedly told authorities he had heard a noise and went outside to see what had happened when he was shot.

Authorities said McCann was under the influence of drugs when the incident took place.