A 19 year old man charged with the aggravated robbery of a pizza delivery employee received an eight year sentence Wednesday in DeKalb County Criminal Court after pleading guilty under a negotiated settlement.
As part of the eight year sentence imposed by Judge Leon Burns, Jr., Blake Ardell Richardson must pay $140 restitution to the victim. As a range one offender, he must serve at least 30% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. He was given jail credit of 30 days.
Smithville Police, at the time of his arrest, said that the victim in the case picked Richardson out of a line up and identified him as the man who robbed her at knife point on the night of Thursday, September 29, 2005 in front of a Webb Street residence.
According to police, a call was placed from a pay phone at Mapco Express to Paparoni’s on East Broad Street between eight and nine p.m. that night by a male who falsely identified himself.
The caller gave his address as 111 Webb Street, but police say he did not reside there.
Upon her arrival, the employee making the pizza delivery got out of her vehicle, and was met near the front steps of the home by the robber who displayed a knife and ordered her to hand over her money and the pizza. He then went to her car, turned the engine off, threw the car keys into the yard, and fled on foot.
Police say the robber went around toward the rear of the house and was last seen in the area of Calhoun Street behind Pizza Hut and Mapco Express. He got away with the pizza and $35 in cash. The victim was not injured.
Police say during the investigation they received a tip that Richardson might be a suspect in the crime.
Officers also viewed the video tape from surveillance cameras at the Mapco Express, and on the night of the crime, Richardson could be seen in the store only minutes before the phone call was placed to Paparoni’s, and he was wearing the same type of clothing described by the victim.
Police say a witness in the case told police that while Richardson was allegedly committing the robbery, another man was in the getaway vehicle, waiting on Richardson in the area of Mapco Express. After the robbery, Richardson allegedly left the scene of the crime, walked to the Mapco Express area, got in the vehicle with the other man, and fled.
In other cases, 46 year old Ricky A. Ashford, Sr. pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and theft over $1,000. He received a five year sentence in the burglary case and four years on the theft charge. The cases are to run concurrently with each other but consecutive to any other sentence against him. In this case,. Ashford will serve a total of nine months, and then be on probation. He must make restitution and perform 100 hours of community service work and undergo an alcohol and drug assessment and follow the prescribed treatments. This sentence will begin once he is released from a General Sessions Court case against him in which he is serving 11 months and 29 days.
26 year old Joshua H. Craig pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated burglary and was ordered to serve six years. All counts are to run concurrently with each other and with another sentence he is now serving. He was given jail credit from February 18th, 2005 until now. Craig must also make restitution of $25,605 to one victim and $3,000 to another.
19 year old Justin M. Cripps, charged with theft over $1,000, was granted judicial diversion. He will be on probation for a period of three years. He must pay restitution of $8,744, perform 100 hours of community service work, and undergo an alcohol and drug assessment and follow the prescribed treatments.
19 year old Andrew L. Hutchens, charged with theft over $1,000, was granted judicial diversion. He will be on probation for three years. He must make restitution of $8,744, and perform 100 hours of community service work.
William R. Cantrell pleaded guilty to evading arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia. He received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days all suspended. He was fined $150 and will be on probation under DOC community corrections supervision. Cantrell was given jail credit of 166 days.
43 year old Raymond D. Martin pleaded guilty to simple possession of a schedule VI controlled substance (marijuana) and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days all suspended to PSI probation. He was fined $250 and must perform 25 hours of community service work and undergo an alcohol and drug assessment and follow the prescribed treatment.
26 year old Terry B. Maynard pleaded guilty to attempted forgery and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days all suspended to probation. He must perform 100 hours of community service work and undergo an alcohol and drug assessment and follow the prescribed treatments. Maynard was given jail credit of seven days.
19 year old Brian D. Thomason pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, burglary of an automobile, and vandalism. He received a four year sentence on the aggravated burglary charge, two years for the burglary of an auto, and 11 months and 29 days in the vandalism case. All the cases are to run concurrently. Thomason will serve six months and then be on probation. He must perform 100 hours of community service work and make restitution. He was given jail credit of 154 days.
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