43
Man gets 8 years in ’06 Auto Zone slaying
YOUNGSTOWN
The second man involved in the botched robbery that resulted in the death of an employee at an auto-parts store will spend eight years in prison.
Jamaad Jackson, 21, of Wychwood Lane, was sentenced by Judge Lou D’Apolito of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Jackson previously had pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter (amended from aggravated murder), aggravated robbery and a gun specification.
Prosecutors had recommended a nine-year total sentence — six years for the manslaughter and robbery charges and three years for the gun charge.
Jackson and two other men — Melvin Dixon, 27, who is serving a life sentence, and Reginald Everson, 23 — entered the East Side Auto Zone store with plans to rob the establishment when one of the men got into a physical struggle with Edward Agee, a 52-year-old employee at the store.
Dixon shot Agee in the head as he fought with the other would-be robber May 2, 2006.
Martin Desmond, an assistant county prosecutor, said he believes Jackson was led into a situation he normally would not have entered by himself. He said the plea agreement was made because Jackson agreed to testify against his co-defendants and help make the state’s case.
“He was the star witness,” Desmond told the court. “He did everything we asked. Because of him, we were able to convict the ringleader.”
Atty. Gerald Ingram, representing Jackson, told the court that his client, who was 17 at the time of the crime, has no previous criminal record and has a traumatic family history that should be taken into consideration upon sentencing.
Ingram said Jackson’s mother died when he was very young and his father was unable to care for him, so he was left with family members where there was friction in his upbringing.
“He was a young man who was easily led, and in this case he was led astray,” Ingram added. “He has expressed genuine remorse. He truly regrets his actions.”
Jackson apologized to the court and the family of his victim. He said he has learned what a good man Agee was since he has been behind bars.
Judge D’Apolito, before sentencing Jackson, encouraged him to make the best of his time in prison, obtain some form of education and emerge ready to start a new life.
Judge D’Apolito sentenced Jackson to five years in prison on the manslaughter charge and five years on the aggravated robbery charge to run concurrently. He was sentenced to an additional three years on the gun specification to run consecutively to the other charges.
Ingram asked that Jackson be made to serve his prison time away from his co-defendants.
Everson, of West Chalmers Avenue, had been charged with murder and aggravated robbery. The murder charge and a gun specification were dropped under a plea agreement. Everson pleaded guilty to the remaining charge of aggravated robbery and will be sentenced at a later date.