YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office is calling on the Ohio Department of Corrections to reject parole for two inmates convicted of violent crimes.

Dana Cross was convicted of rape and gross sexual imposition in 1995, and Kenneth Mosley was convicted of aggravated murder and aggravated burglary in 1988. Both men are up for parole this month, and if approved, they would be released April 1.

A news release from Mahoning County Prosecutor Lynn Maro’s office Thursday stated that Cross, 52, was arrested and charged with the repeated rape of a 9-year-old boy with whom he lived. In 1995, Cross pleaded guilty to four counts of rape, aggravated felonies of the first degree, and two counts of gross sexual imposition, felonies of the third degree. He was sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison on each of the four counts of rape, and two years each (to run concurrently) on the two gross sexual imposition charges, for a total sentence of 40 to 100 years.

Online records show that Cross has been at the Grafton Correctional Institution in Lorain County since Sept. 8, 1995.

“During Cross’s incarceration, he has demonstrated a lack of authority and, over the past 20 years, has had 53 rule infractions. Due to the nature of the crime and Cross’s behavior while incarcerated, there is substantial reason to believe that he will engage in further criminal conduct, and his release would create undue risk to public safety,” Maro said in the release.

Online records show that Mosley, 65, has been incarcerated at Richland Correctional Institution in Mansfield since Jan. 28, 1988.

Maro’s press release states that, in December 1986, when Mosley snuck into a home to commit a holiday season robbery, he was confronted by the homeowner, leading to a fight that ensued, in which Mosley strangled the victim to death.

“Mosley admitted he still stole items from the home following the physical confrontation,” the release stated.

Mosley later pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and aggravated burglary. He was sentenced to life on the murder charge, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, and to a consecutive 25 years on the burglary charge, with a mandatory minimum of five years.

“During Mosley’s incarceration, he has demonstrated a lack of authority and has spent the

majority of his incarceration as a Level 2 or 3 (mid- to upper-tier) inmate. The press release stated that Maro believes Mosley, like Cross, would represent a considerable danger to the public if released.