Three of five co-defendants involved in a Sherwood neighborhood home-invasion robbery were sentenced this week in Clark County Superior Court.
Sammy Bulambo, 19, Kelyn C. Jones, 20, Savion I. Lockett, 20, and Mason S. Sinner, 20, all of Portland; and Sierra J. Mott, 21, of Clackamas, Ore., were initially arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and second-degree assault, stemming from the Jan. 19, 2017, incident.
A group of armed men entered the apartment of Nadia Hays in the 3700 block of Northeast 109th Avenue and robbed victim Tyler Hays of jewelry, computers and a large amount of marijuana, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The group fled in a light-colored Kia, which Vancouver police stopped a short time after the incident on the north side of the Interstate 205 Bridge. Southbound traffic was temporarily shut down. Police said some of the stolen property was in plain sight, so they seized the Kia, according to court documents.
Bulambo pleaded guilty Thursday to first-degree burglary and was sentenced to 20 months in prison, according to Deputy Prosecutor Kristine Foerster.
Jones and Lockett previously pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and were sentenced Friday to 17 months in prison.
Jones wore a suit to his sentencing hearing. His defense attorney, David McDonald, said the young man has made positive strides since the robbery. Jones reconnected with his mother, whom he wasn’t previously living with, McDonald said.
“There are a number of reasons to impose the mid-range (sentence),” McDonald said, then Superior Court Judge Daniel Stahnke promptly handed down the recommended punishment.
Lockett was facing a recommended sentence of 20 months, but defense attorney Therese Lavallee argued he should receive the same or a lower sentence than his co-defendant Jones.
Lavallee said the two men are friends from high school, and her client reconnected with Jones after spending time outside of Oregon. She said Jones and Mott initiated the plan to rob the victim of pot.
“(Lockett) went along with the plan,” Lavallee said.
The attorney said Lockett worked to improve himself in the past year. He enrolled in college, although not for the current semester as he knew he’d be imprisoned, she said.
Stahnke decided a 17-month sentence was appropriate.
Mott previously pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and will be sentenced in April.
Sinner’s sentencing was set over. He also previously pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary.
