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Inmate gets longer sentence for escape

superior court news

By Richelle Bailey | The McDowell News

Published: October 26, 2009

A judge added more than a year to an inmate's prison stint for an escape in June.

Robert William Herrmann, 32, who was housed at the Marion Minimum Security Unit on N.C. 226 South, recently pleaded guilty in McDowell County Superior Court to escape from a state prison. Judge Laura J. "Suzy" Bridges sentenced Herrmann to an additional 16 to 20 months of incarceration.

On Friday, June 26, prison employees discovered Herrmann missing during a head count at 9:30 a.m. He was mowing the grass at the facility and fled through the woods, according to Sam Dotson, unit manager of the prison.

Authorities from several agencies began searching immediately and located Herrmann a couple of hours later at the Nebo Travel Store at Exit 90 off Interstate 40, about 2 miles from the prison.

Herrmann was serving an 11-year, two-month sentence for being a habitual felon and was scheduled for release in March 2012.

The following defendants also appeared Sept. 21 to 25 in McDowell County Superior Court:

-- Jerry Keith Davis, 39, of Sugar Hill Road in Marion pleaded guilty to possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine. Judge Bridges sentenced him to 12 to 15 months in prison.

-- William Scott Lawson, 47, of Oakdale Road in Old Fort pleaded guilty to felony possession of cocaine. He was given a four- to five-month suspended sentence and was placed on supervised probation for 12 months. Lawson was ordered to pay court costs.

-- Amanda Sparks McKinney, 28, of Old Little Switzerland Road in Marion pleaded guilty to felony larceny and breaking and entering. Sparks was sentenced to six to eight months in prison and must pay restitution of $12,540 to the victim in the cases.

-- Andre Montgomery, 27, of Black Mountain pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and one count of larceny of a motor vehicle. The judge sentenced him to 11 to 14 months in prison.

-- Tamela Connor Peterson, 47, of Pleasant View Drive in Marion pleaded guilty to embezzlement. The judge handed Peterson a four- to five-month suspended sentence, placed her on unsupervised probation for 12 months and ordered that she pay court costs.

-- William Keith Plemmons, 21, of Plemmons Place in Marion pleaded guilty to common law forgery. Judge Bridges gave him a 45-day suspended sentence and placed him on supervised probation for 12 months. He must play court costs.

-- Terry Wayne Gabriel Rief, 29, of Hickory Hills in Marion pleaded guilty to two counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle and one count of obtaining property by false pretense. Rief was given a 20- to 26-month suspended sentence and was placed on supervised probation for 36 months. He was ordered to spend six months on intensive supervised probation, perform 72 hours of community service and pay three court costs, restitution of $131 to the victims in the cases and reimbursement of $225 for a court-appointed attorney.

-- Crystal Lacole Robinson, 25, of Hicks Memorial Baptist Church Road in Marion pleaded guilty to three counts of assault on a government official or employee and one count of possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana. Judge Bridges gave Robinson a six- to eight-month suspended sentence and placed her on supervised probation for 24 months. She must spend six months on intensive supervised probation, perform 72 hours of community service and pay court costs and restitution of $562.50 for a court-appointed attorney.

-- Rebecca Anne Shelton, 21, of Mace's Park Road in Marion pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen motor vehicle and breaking and entering. Shelton was given a five- to six-month suspended sentence and was placed on supervised probation for 24 months. The judge ordered that she spend six months on intensive supervised probation, perform 72 hours of community service and pay two court costs, restitution of $770 to the victim in the cases and reimbursement of $525 for a court-appointed attorney.

-- Packy Ray Underwood, 26, of Wall Poole Road in Marion pleaded guilty to possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana. Judge Bridges handed him a four- to six-month suspended sentence and placed him on supervised probation for 24 months. He must pay court costs, a $500 fine, restitution of $300 for a state lab fee and reimbursement of $375 for a court-appointed attorney.

-- Matthew Edward Carr, 21, of Zion Hill Road in Marion pleaded guilty to felony larceny, discharging a weapon into occupied property, possession of a firearm by a felon and larceny of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to 46 to 57 months in prison and was ordered to pay restitution of $2,597.45 to the victims in the cases. Carr also admitted two felony probation violations. Those sentences were activated.

-- Jacob Cordell, 21, of Black Mountain pleaded guilty to misdemeanor breaking and entering and misdemeanor larceny. Judge Bridges handed Cordell a 90-day suspended sentence and placed him on supervised probation for 36 months. He must pay court costs, restitution of $1,335 to the victim in the cases and reimbursement of $675 for a court-appointed attorney.

-- Melvin Russell of Black Mountain pleaded guilty to breaking and entering a motor vehicle and larceny of a firearm. He was given a 10- to 13-month suspended sentence and was placed on supervised probation for 24 months. He must spend six months on intensive supervised probation, perform 72 hours of community service and pay court costs, restitution of $1,255 to the victim in the cases and reimbursement of $525 for a court-appointed attorney.

-- Ashley Elizabeth Ramey, 25, of Swannanoa pleaded guilty to felony larceny, accessory after the fact of a felony and larceny of a motor vehicle. The judge gave her a 10- to 13-month suspended sentence and placed her on supervised probation for 24 months. Ramey must spend nine months on intensive supervised probation and pay court costs and restitution of $2,597.45 to the victims in the cases.