Man gets 6 years for restaurant robbery

February 7, 2012 at 12:02a.m.

Thomas

YOUNGSTOWN

The second surviving suspect in the 2011 robbery at a North Side restaurant that resulted in the death of one man is headed to prison for six years.

James Thomas, 50, of Belmont Avenue, had been charged with aggravated robbery with a gun specification for his role in the April 2011 attempted robbery at Galaxy Seafood on Belmont Avenue. The case was heard in the courtroom of Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Thomas, who is represented by Atty. Thomas E. Zena, entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery with a gun specification. He was facing up to 13 years in prison on the felony charges.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors recommended Thomas spend three years in prison on the robbery charge and an additional three years in prison for the gun charge.

Judge Evans on Monday handed down the total six-year sentence as recommended.

Co-defendant Nathaniel Dumas, 36, of Youngstown, went on trial and was convicted of murder and attempted robbery last week for his role in the attempted robbery of the Belmont Avenue restaurant. He watched the trial unfold from a private room in the courthouse because of his behavior and vowed to appeal the conviction.

Judge Evans gave Dumas a sentence of 28 years to life in prison.

According to police, off-duty Youngstown officer Mike Walker was working security at the seafood restaurant April 8 and was in the back of the business when Warren V. Wright, 32, of Youngstown, walked in around 6 p.m., pointed a gun at a worker at the front of the establishment and demanded money.

Walker confronted Wright, and Wright died after Walker shot him in the chest.

Police said Dumas was the getaway driver, but because his involvement in the shooting was tied to a death, he was charged with murder in Wright’s death.

Police said Thomas also was involved in the robbery.