Butler man takes plea deal he'd rejected
A 28-year-old Butler man sidestepped his jury trial Tuesday for an alleged role in a city drive-by shooting case, choosing instead to take a plea deal that includes time in state prison.
Jurors were selected last week for Raheem J. Robinson's alleged actions in an April 5, 2018, drive-by shooting on North Sixth Avenue that led to a charge of attempted criminal homicide and other charges.
On Tuesday, with his trial scheduled to start, Robinson decided to take a deal he had previously rejected, pleading guilty to misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person and felony unlawful possession of a firearm.
In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped the other 14 charges Robinson faced, including a number of felonies.
Butler County Common Pleas Judge Timothy McCune accepted the plea deal and sentenced Robinson on Tuesday to 4½ to 10 years in state prison, according to the agreed upon recommended sentence reached between Assistant District Attorney Terri Schultz and Charles Nedz, Robinson's attorney.
Robinson also received credit for time served in jail during his continued detention in Butler County Prison since April 13, 2018.
This is the second time Robinson took this plea deal. In July, he was scheduled to be sentenced after pleading guilty to the same charges. But Robinson requested a guilty withdrawal, which McCune accepted, setting in motion Tuesday's scheduled criminal trail.
At the time, Schultz said of the rejection, “It's a slap in the face to me,” and she vowed not to offer the plea deal to Robinson again.
Schultz, who couldn't be reached later Tuesday, said when Robinson originally accepted the plea deal over the summer, “It just made more sense to do this. I would have a hard time proving anything else. I'm happy with the outcome.”
And Nedz on Tuesday said his client decided to take the plea deal Monday after reviewing the case once more. In July, Robinson blamed his first change of heart about his guilty plea on “family drama.”
“He's glad to have this all behind him,” Nedz said, adding that he hopes Robinson will take advantage of any educational and vocational services during his time in prison.
Robinson and Mackenzie P. Peters, 23, were arrested last year after the drive-by shooting. Robinson was originally charged with felony attempted homicide, aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felony persons not to possess a firearm, misdemeanor recklessly endangerment, tampering with or fabricating evidence, and criminal conspiracy.
The two were charged after authorities allege that Robinson fired shots at a group of people that included Kirisa Taimuty, the mother of Robinson's unborn twins. No injuries were reported. Taimuty appeared at Robinson's court proceeding Tuesday, but she did not make a victim impact statement.
Peters pleaded guilty in March to driving Robinson to the location, circling the block several times before Robinson allegedly got out of the car and fired the shots. Peters is awaiting release after recently being granted parole from prison. She was sentenced to 18 to 72 months for her role in the shooting.
