Man sentenced for robbing seniors
Published 11:00 pm Thursday, October 4, 2012
A Troy man has been sentenced to 55 years in prison after pleading guilty in two cases.
John D. Mendenhall plead guilty to robbery first-degree and burglary first-degree in a November 2011 crime and robbery first-degree relating to an October 2011 crime.
Both pleas resulted in sentences of 55 years to be served concurrently.
In October 2011, a 60-year-old woman who lived on the 100 block of Montgomery Street went to investigate a noise at her back door. That’s when Mendenhall pushed his way in and struck the woman with a metal pipe. An undisclosed amount of money, jewelry and personal property were taken.
In the November 2011 incident, Mendenhall was arrested shortly after he forced his way into a 71-year-old man’s home, robbed him and struck him in the face with the victim’s own pistol.
Mendenhall was also ordered to pay $200 into the Alabama Crime Victim’s Compensation Fund and $150 in restitution.
In a separate incident, another Troy man will be spending 35 years in prison after he was found guilty by a jury of attempted murder.
Darius Keith Roberson reportedly shot a 33-year-old Troy man in the buttocks, according to Troy Police. The incident occurred in June 2011 near North Knox Street and Watkins Court.
Roberson’s time in prison will be a straight sentence and he was also ordered to pay $20,793 in restitution to the shooting victim.
And another Troy man will be spending 17 years behind bars for first-degree unlawful possession of marijuana – once a drug trafficking charge that was lessened by the state.
David Junior Williams was arrested in March 2011 when Pike County Sheriff’s deputies and members of the Troy Police Department executed a search warrant at Williams’ home.
Officers seized cash, guns (one stolen), and marijuana. The warrant was issued based on information that Williams was trafficking drugs in the area around Hillside Mobile Home Park.
Williams had five prior adult felonies and was sentenced under the Habitual Offender Act. He was also ordered to pay about $1,100 in court costs, fees, fines and to the Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Fund.
All three men were sentenced on Sept. 27 by Judge Jeff Kelley.