Men plead guilty in felony cases 11/11/2009 7:37 PM By MIKE GELLATLY Staff writer
The Aiken County courthouse has been in general session this week with Circuit Court Judge Paul Burch on the bench. Dozens of accused have pleaded guilty to a variety of felony offenses, including the following.
Armed robbery
A Bath man has been sentenced for 18 years after pleading guilty to an ice-cream parlor holdup.
On Monday, Joey Taylor, 33, of 6 Church St., in Bath pleaded guilty to armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
On June 27 at Twister's Ice Cream Shop in Bath, Taylor entered around 6:45 p.m. and demanded money from the cashier, according to Assistant Solicitor Steve Kodman, who prosecuted the case.
When the cashier refused to give any money, Taylor pulled out a handgun and fired it into the counter.
He then pointed the gun at the cashier and again demanded money.
The clerk gave him about $73 in a yellow Dollar General bag. The business had about 20 to 30 patrons, including children, inside during the incident.
Taylor fled on foot as the owner's son and husband, who were armed, chased the man on foot. The owner's son and husband fired at Taylor as he fled but did not hit him.
The Aiken County Sheriff's Office apprehended the man, who was identified by witnesses from the business. A search warrant on a vehicle turned up the Dollar General bag with the money from the robbery, and clothes that Taylor was wearing during the robbery were also recovered. The weapon used during the robbery was never recovered; however, Taylor's neighbor advised law enforcement that he was missing a handgun and that Taylor was the only other person who knew where it was kept.
Burch originally sentenced the defendant to 18 years for armed robbery and five years for the weapons charge, the sentences to run concurrently. Later in the day, defense attorney Grant Gibbons moved to have the sentences reconsidered based on the victims' wishes. The store owner, Shirley Laborde, asked the judge to reduce Taylor's sentence to the minimum for armed robbery, 10 years. Kodman opposed the reduction.
After a hearing on the motion, Burch reduced the sentence on the armed robbery to 13 years, again to run concurrent to the five for the weapons case. Armed robbery is a "most serious" offense under South Carolina law, meaning it is one strike under the two-strike law. A second strike would mean the defendant would be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In addition, Taylor will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before being considered for release.
Drug dealing
A North Augusta drug dealer was sentenced to substantial prison time after pleading guilty Monday.
Carlos Hazel, 24, of 155 Kip Road in North Augusta, pleaded guilty to five counts of distribution of cocaine base second offense and five counts of distribution of cocaine base within one-half mile of a school.
Aiken County Sheriff's Office narcotics investigators began investigating Hazel late last year. On numerous occasions, the agency successfully completed undercover crack cocaine purchases from Hazel, who sold the drugs from his Kip Road home. The buys varied in amounts from $20 rocks to more than 9 grams of crack cocaine in one sale. Hazel's home is within one-half mile of Mossy Creek Elementary School.
Hazel pleaded to all the charges without recommendation or negotiation. Burch sentenced Hazel to 141âÑ2 years on each of the distribution of crack second offense charges and 10 years on each distribution within proximity of a school charge with sentences to run concurrently.
Hazel will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence and will also have a "strike" on his record.
The narcotics unit's investigation of Hazel was aggressive and thorough, according to Assistant Solicitor Beth Ann Young, who prosecuted the case.
Hazel was set for trial this week; however, the strength of the evidence gathered against Hazel by the Sheriff's Office resulted in the guilty plea to 10 charges, she added.
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