Woman gets six years for her role in robbery

May 21, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

A woman sentenced to six years in prison in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday for her role in the robbery and beating of a man in April 2014 in Austintown said drugs clouded her judgment.

Dezhane Dawson, 19, of Main Street in Austintown, promised Judge Lou D’Apolito she would remain off drugs and away from people who use them.

“Drugs controlled me,” Dawson said.

Dawson was convicted by a jury March 13 of aggravated robbery, felonious assault and kidnapping. The same jury found her innocent of firearms specifications on those charges.

Dawson was one of three people indicted in the beating of a man at her home. Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Paris said Dawson lured the victim to her home, where he was beaten so severely he almost died and was robbed of $6,000 in cash.

Two of the other defendants pleaded guilty and received probation. A third, Jasan Martin, 22, received seven years for his role in the case.

Paris asked for a sentence of 10 years for Dawson. When Judge D’Apolito said that was more than Martin received, Paris said that Martin accepted responsibility by pleading guilty and Dawson set the whole crime up.

Dawson has no prior criminal record.

Dawson’s attorney, Jeffrey Limbian, advised her against making a statement in case she appeals her convictions, but Limbian did say that his client is easily influenced and made a poor decision to be involved with the other defendants.

“She’s very young, she’s very naive, she’s very impressionable, and I can’t say another word for it – she was very stupid,” Limbian said.

Judge D’Apolito said a presentence investigation prepared for Dawson said that her mother and stepfather are both in prison, and her natural father is not involved in her life at all. He said he thought for a long time about what sentence was appropriate. He said during the trial that phone records showed she made several calls and texts to the others involved and deleted those texts also, which proved to him she was involved in what happened.

“Therefore, in my mind, she is just as culpable for the event,” Judge D’Apolitio said.

Dawson was also given credit for 333 days served in the county jail while awaiting her trial and sentencing.