Two men sentenced in separate Trumbull robberies

Staff report

WARREN

Timothy L. Keene Jr., 33, of Parkman Road Northwest has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for robbing two people at 2:17 a.m. Oct. 1 as they walked home in the area of West Market Street and Tod Avenue Northwest.

Keene pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery with a specification that a gun was used, tampering with evidence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

He received his sentence Thursday in the courtroom of Judge Ronald Rice of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

Police said a 30-year-old woman and 33-year-old man had gone to an ATM near the Hot Dog Shoppe on West Market Street, then to the Red Box at the nearby Walgreens, then to the nearby Sunoco store.

As they walked home, a black male holding a gun robbed the two of cash and fled on foot, but the male victim followed him and called 911, helping police locate Keene at West Market Street and Parkman Road.

Police arrested Keene after a foot chase and use of a stun gun.

Also sentenced Thursday was Robert Mealy, 23, of Sunnydale Drive, Vienna, who robbed the Elm Road Papa John’s restaurant, 1976 Elm Road NE in Howland Township, on March 18.

Mealy pleaded guilty in the courtroom of Judge Rice to aggravated robbery and received a two-year prison sentence.

Police said Mealy ordered a restaurant employee, who was alone, to the back of the store, threatened to kill him and took about $400 from the cash register.

When police served a search warrant at Mealy’s home, they found items involved in the robbery, Howland police said. Prosecutors said he used an Airsoft gun, which is a toy that doesn’t fire real bullets, in the robbery.