43
Man jailed 13 years in Boardman robberies
Photo
Robert Barnes
YOUNGSTOWN
A 30-year-old Boardman man was sentenced to serve 13 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to one count of robbery and two counts of aggravated robbery and kidnapping.
Robert M. Barnes pleaded guilty in June and was sentenced by Judge Maureen Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to serve 10 years in prison for each count of aggravated robbery and kidnapping concurrently, and an additional three years for the robbery charge.
“I won’t make any excuses. ... I apologize,” Barnes said at the sentencing hearing.
Barnes’ mug shot is one of two featured on literature from the Boardman Coalition Against Crime in support of the Aug. 2 police levy.
Barnes pleaded guilty to two incidences that occurred last July. The first involved holding a 74-year-old Brown’s Drug Store customer at knife-point, taking her prescription drugs, cash and her Dodge Caravan. The second took place at Circle K, 7103 Lockwood Blvd., where police said a man stole $41, a cashier’s wallet and Buick Park Avenue.
Barnes was arrested July 26, 2010, by U.S. marshals in Myrtle Beach, S.C. While in South Carolina, police said Barnes carjacked a female victim at knife point and then robbed a CVS drug- store.
Atty. Robert Andrews, an assistant county prosecutor, said prosecutors in South Carolina indicated they likely would dismiss the charges against Barnes in that state if he received a sentence of 10 years or more in Mahoning County.
Barnes was represented by Atty. James Gentile who told the judge about his client’s background and how Barnes became addicted to painkillers.
Barnes graduated from Canfield High School in 1999 with no juvenile record and did not have any serious involvement with drugs until 2005, Gentile said.
In 2005, Barnes was in a car accident and was scheduled to have surgery but did not receive it, he said. It was then that Barnes became addicted to prescription painkillers, particularly OxyContin, and went to several stints in rehab, Gentile added.
“I don’t think there was an intent to hurt anyone. There was an intent to get drugs,” he said. “I think there’s some hope here. ... I don’t think we should write this young man off.”
Barnes will get one year credit for time served.