Keel E. Welch II

A Butler man guilty of robbery and a felony firearm charge is headed to state prison.

Keel E. Welch II, 30, was sentenced Thursday to 3 to 10 years in a state correctional facility by county Judge William Shaffer, after pleading guilty to felony robbery and firearms not to be carried without a license on April 10.

Welch was charged in the firearms case after an incident on Nov. 6, 2016, where police say he allegedly took a 9 mm handgun from a home while visiting a couple at their Old Plank Estates apartment, tried to trade it for drugs, and then later returned it.

Welch denied taking the firearm, but later that day after he had left the apartment, the owner heard a knock on the door and when he opened it found only a gray plastic bag on the door step containing the missing gun.

Police went to Welch’s home where he admitted taking the gun and secretly returning it, documents said.

During their investigation, police spoke to another man who claimed Welch had approached him Saturday night offering to sell or swap a pistol for cash or drugs.

The robbery charge stems from an incident at Walmart at the Butler Commons shopping plaza about 11:40 p.m. Dec. 12, 2016, when police say a man reported that while loading groceries into the back of his car, an unknown person approached him, opened his jacket and showed a dark-colored handgun, asking if it looked real and then demanding money.

When the victim insisted he had no money, the would-be robber patted him down to make sure. After finding no money, the suspect told the man it was a joke and then left.

Welch was found sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot after police arrived, and was identified as the suspect. In the vehicle were at least four guns, all of which turned out to be BB guns.

Welch claimed he thought the victim was someone he knew and that he was only playing a joke on him.

He was charged and held on $25,000 cash bail.