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Man gets four years for Struthers robbery
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
One bad day plus drugs added up to a four-year prison sentence for a South Heights man Wednesday.
Gregory J. Chism, 23, was given the sentence in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for the Nov. 17, 2012, robbery of a Youngstown-Poland Road restaurant in Struthers.
Just before he was sentenced, Chism, in tears, told Judge Maureen Sweeney he was under the influence of drugs that day and was sorry for what he had done. He has no prior criminal record.
“I’m sorry for what I did,” Chism said. “It will never happen again.”
Chism entered a guilty plea July 16 to one count of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, for which he was given a three-year sentence. He was given an additional year for a firearm specification for a total sentence of four years.
The sentence was agreed upon by prosecutors and defense attorney Sam Amendolara.
Amendolara told Judge Sweeney that his client had no prior felony criminal record other than some traffic charges. He said Chism graduated from high school and was attending Youngstown State University, had a job, and has a 4-year-old child.
Amendolara said Chism did smoke marijuana and sometimes also took ecstasy. He said the day Chism carried out the robbery he was under the influence of drugs and he allowed that one day to make an impact on the rest of his life.
“He had a real bad day that led to a real bad experience,” Amendolara said. “It will dramatically change Gregory’s life.”
Amendolara said the ecstasy clouded Chism’s mind and caused confusion. Amendolara said Chism knew his mother had a gun in a shoebox, and that Chism’s mother was unaware his son knew where it was. It was the gun that he used in the robbery.
Reports said Chism ran from the restaurant and led police from Campbell and Struthers on a chase that ended on Lincoln Street, where he was bitten by a police dog.
Assistant Prosecutor Rob Andrews told Judge Sweeney that the victim in the robbery said the experience was “terrifying” but that he did not want a harsh sentence imposed because Chism has never been in trouble before, and the victim did not want to ruin Chism’s life. The victim was notified of Wednesday’s hearing but chose not to attend.
Before they went into court, Chism and family members held hands and prayed outside the courtroom. Afterward, they were crying as Chism was led away by deputies.