The last of five people involved in an armed robbery more than two years ago has been sentenced to prison.
Michael Wayne Jones, 19, of Crothersville, recently received a 16-year prison term after he entered a guilty plea to a Class A
felony charge of robbery resulting in bodily injury.
Jackson Circuit Court Senior Judge William Vance suspended six of those years, but Jones will be required to spend that time on supervised probation.
If he serves six of the remaining 10 years in prison without loss of good time, Jones could finish the remaining four years on house arrest/home detention. He would be monitored electronically by the Jackson Jennings Community Corrections Department during that four-year period.
Four other charges against Jones were dropped as part of the plea deal, including one for being involved in criminal gang activity, burglary resulting in bodily injury and two counts of criminal confinement armed with a deadly weapon, according to court documents.
The other men involved in the incident on Seymour’s southeast side — Jacob
Easley, 19, of Seymour; Myron J. Walker Jr., 22, of Seymour; Gregory Blake Vires, 19, of Scottsburg; and Jamontrae Bennett, 20, of Crothersville — have been previously sentenced.
The robbery occurred on the night of Nov. 7, 2012, when Jones and the other men drove around looking to “hit a lick” or steal from others, according to the probable cause affidavit signed by Seymour Police Detective Brian Moore.
Moore said the group arrived at an apartment in Seymour and forced their way inside after a man answered the door.
The man was struck across the face with a gun, and a woman in the apartment also was threatened with a gun to the head and told to stay in the dining room, police said.
Police later discovered Bennett was an acquaintance of the man and woman, according to court records.
Moore said the men then rummaged through the rooms and closets in the apartment, stealing a laptop, phones and sunglasses, among other items.
After leaving the apartment complex, they bought gas in Seymour and then headed to North Vernon to attempt another robbery for drugs, which was unsuccessful, police said.
Easley, Walker and Vires were arrested early the next morning after leading police on a foot pursuit in Seymour, while Jones and Bennett were later arrested in Crothersville.
For their involvement in the crime, Easley was sentenced to 10 years, Walker to 18 years, Vires to two years and Bennett to 18 years.
Jones also was ordered to have no contact with the victims he robbed or be within 1,000 feet of their homes, workplaces or anywhere he knows they will be.
Jones, who received 754 days credit and 754 days credit time for days spent incarcerated prior to sentencing, also must submit to a drug and alcohol abuse program through the Jackson County Probation Department.