PB Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Shooting at UAM Student in 2009 4-Man Crime Spree
July 13th, 2011 by Joe Burgess
Walter Franklin, of Pine Bluff was sentenced to 10 years in ADC, following a guilty verdict from a Drew County jury on the charge of aggravated robbery, involving a fire arm, Tuesday. The jury voted not guilty on a theft of property charge.
Franklin was one of 4 Pine Bluff men who came to Monticello, in December, 2009, in a day that led to a gunshot being fired at a UAM student, while they were allegedly trying to steal her car; and an armed robbery of EZ-Mart North, along with the kidnapping and beating of their store clerk, by another member of the group.
The student’s vehicle was parked at Royer Hall, at UAM, when the attempted auto theft took place. When the car died, the man in the stalled vehicle ran from scene.
The student reported seeing a man from their car in a dark hoodie, with a handgun, when she heard the gunshot.
The prosecutor told the court that there were only two suspects at the scene wearing dark hoodies, Franklin and Jakevius Stewart (who was the man who ran from scene, and later plead guilty to aggravated robbery of the Hyatt Stree E-Z Mart store).
When the group’s car was stopped by police, the handgun was inside of their car.
Franklin was sentenced to serve 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections, and must complete 7 years, before being eligible for parole.
~~~~~~~
Eric Leonard, of Pine Bluff, was held Tuesday in the Drew County Circuit Court, on the charges of possession of a gun on campus, theft of property over $500 (a stolen car), and armed robbery, for his part in a series of December 15, 2009 crimes at UAM and Monticello.Franklin was one of the 4 Pine Bluff men that came to Monticello on December 15, on a day that led to a gunshot being fired at a UAM student, while her car was being stolen; and an armed robbery of EZ-Mart North, along with the kidnapping and beating of their store clerk.
Willie Lee Oglesby, of Pine Bluff, has accepted a plea agreement of 10 years in connection with the Dec 15 robbery at UAM’S Royer Hall, where a handgun was fired at a UAM student, in an attemt to steal her car.
STEWART, JAKEVIUS
LEONARD, ERIC Drew County Circuit Judge Bynum Gibson, Monday, set bonds for the four 20 year old Pine Bluff men, accused of Monticello's early crime spree, Saturday morning.The four men, all age 20 of Pine Bluff are:Jakeveous Stewart-$1,000,000 bond, Aggravated robbery, kidnapping, fleeing, possession of controlled substance.Willie Oglesby-$750,000, Aggravated robbery, theft of property.Walter Franklin-$500,000, Aggravated robbery, theft of property.Eric Leonard-$500,000, Aggravated robbery, theft of property.Stewart and Oglesby were on appeal bond from a Jefferson County court at the time, for an earlier charge of aggravated robbery, and had bonded out on a $25,000 bond.At 5 o'clock Saturday morning, the four suspects, driving a Pontiac Parisienne (which after further investigation, was stolen out of Pine Bluff) attempted to steal an older model maroon Chevy Caprice from the west side of UAM's Royer Hall.When the owner heard her car alarm, she came outside, when one of the suspects fired a shot at the femaile owner of the vehicle, before they gave up on getting the car cranked in the cold weather. Three of the four men returned to the stolen Pontiac , and were arrested in a felony take-down traffic stop by UAM Public Safety, Monticello Police, and Drew County Sheriff's deputies, at approximately 5:20.A fully loaded 40 caliber Hi-Point handgun was removed from under the driver's seat.Stolen LaSable used in EZ-Mart Robbery
Stewart, the only suspect in the Chevy, ran from the scene to the east side of Royer Hall, and then stole third vehicle, a Buick LaSabre.
Pontiac Parisienne, stolen out of Pine Bluff, brought the 4 men to Monticello, as their crime early morning spree crossed county lines.
Around 6 o’clock, MPD Dispatch received a call from EZ-Mart on Hyatt St., reporting an armed robbery was in progress.
According to testimony from Arkansas State Police investigator Scott Woodard, Stewart had driven the stolen LaSable and parked it behind EZ-Mart. before entering the store, jumping over the counter, and robbing the clerk, using a large screwdriver as a weapon, holding it against her throat, as he physically forced her out to the parking lot. Stewart had the clerk on the ground striking her, when officers arrived, and he was taken into custody by the Monticello Police, Drew County Deputies, and UAM Public Safety staff, 12 minutes after the call came into dispatch.
UAM's Royer Hall
All four men are currently being held in the Drew County Detention Facility.
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A native Arkansan, I find it very sad that people publish such cruel comments about individuals they know little about. One of the young men happens to be my first cousin and I know for a fact that he was raised to do ‘the right thing’ (however many of you may define that).
While we oftentimes find ourselves judging others, we must take a step back and recognize the fact that if, in fact, this was one of our own relatives, we would not want strangers posting hurtful things about them.
While I understand that many of you have the right to speak your mind as promised in the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution, also keep in mind that when that Constitution was created, young men that looked like these young men were held captive as slave right there in Monticello.
If you’ve never studied the impact of slavery, police brutality, and crime on minority groups in Arkansas, please do. It will honestly change your views on how we foresee ‘criminals’ and our justice system. Many of our young men, black and white, who commit crimes often have things going on in their lives that many of us have never experienced and would not know how to deal with.
While I am not agreeing with their actions at all, I just want to encourage everyone to take certain things into consideration and keep the family members of these individuals in mind as they are most likely blaming themselves when in all actually we know they may have had little to do with the situation at hand.
I understand that these men have families, but they shouldn’t just speak for them. You all know that what these criminals done was hash. What if your cousin would have stolen your car and beat you…would you have taken up for him like you are doing now. If he had any sense he wouldn’t have done this crime in the first place.
What my boyfriend and the other 3 young men did was wrong but people need to realize that they have families who love and care about them very much. Me for one I love my boyfriend so much and it kind of frustrates me to hear the harsh, cruel things people say about my boyfriend. That’s life people are going to talk and say things that I may not agree with. It hurts me to my soul to know that my boyfriend didn’t get a chance to see his first child be born. It also hurts me to know that he is not here by my side helping me raise our 2 and a half month son. So people should put themselves in others shoes for a second and ask themselves how would they feel if they were in the same situation as my boyfriend/ babydaddy and the others before they try to criticize somebody. These men are human just like the rest of us; everyone makes mistakes nobody is perfect.
THE DEVIL IS BUSY, WE ALL NEED TO REBUKE THE DEVIL SO THAT HE WILL FLEE
thank god these thugs won’t be on the streets for a good long time
52 years thats not a good deal, you should have choose door number two!
Maybe after setting in jail for a while, your boy friend will get to spend some time with his family and children. That way he WILL HAVE A CHANCE of not getting a bullet in his head for trying it again.
Thank God he is off the street!!! I do not feel no sympathy for this young man. And for Politicalpearl and Tymeka my mother always tells my brother and I if you go out and make your bed hard you must lay in it. This young man knew right from wrong. Some people were hurt behind this crime. Thank God no life were taken!!!!
Those young men need to thank God they did not try to pull their shenanigans on the wrong person. There are some of us out there who are legally armed and we are prepared to act when the moment of truth presents itself.
As the father of two young men, I can tell you without blinking if either of them are man enough to commit the crime then they are man enough to do the time.
As a father my heart aches for these young men and what they will face in the days that lie ahead.
In the same breath, we cannot forget the terror the young lady at Royer Hall experienced. She could have lost her life or at the very lest been crippled for life. The emotional scars of the woman who was accosted during the armed robbery cannot be overlooked either.
Yes we feel for the families of the assailants. Yes we understand they may not have grown up in the best of environments. At the same time, we must always come down on the side of innocence—always. When given the choice, we must make the hard decisions that protect those who do abide by the law.
The God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob is a God of second chances. He can give purpose and meaning to the lives of these men even behind bars. We must however lose sight of the fact that while God does and is willing to forgive us, this does not mean we will be exempt from the consequences of our sins. I pay for many of the things I have done wrong in the past on a daily basis but I am forgiven.
Hear! Hear!
*clap*clap*clap*
I feel better already.
possibly this young man can get his life together. Prison will give him ample time and _hopefully_ he does so.
He has taken a major step if in pleading guilty that he as also admited responsibility.
“We must however (NOT) lose sight of the fact that while God does and is willing to forgive us, this does not mean we will be exempt from the consequences of our sins.”
I hate to hear that this young man has a child that will grow up with out a father. Tymeka it is up to you to raise this boy right so that in 20 years this family is not going down this same path!
just another reason why more folks should have their concealed carry permits. they should be glad they are going to jail and didnt recieve a one way trip to the funeral home. seems to me that shooting at folks and beating others in a parking lot would allow someone to use deadly force.
“just another reason why more folks should have their concealed carry permits. they should be glad they are going to jail and didnt recieve a one way trip to the funeral home. seems to me that shooting at folks and beating others in a parking lot would allow someone to use deadly force.”
BINGO. Can you imagine if that had been your daughter getting shot at from outside her dorm room?
“I hate to hear that this young man has a child that will grow up with out a father. Tymeka it is up to you to raise this boy right so that in 20 years this family is not going down this same path!”
True dat. This is where the community, the church and team sports coaches can step in. When we see these situations, then it is time to make sure the kids can afford the fees for the baseball, football or track team and the equipment or the fees and equipment for other worthwhile activities and we do it in a manner so that no one else knows about it so that moms like Tymeka are not put on the spot.
My father-in-law was in the same boat as a child. His dad was in the penitentiary for manslaughter. Some good soul out there recognized the potential talent in my wife’s father at an early age and took an interest in him. As a result, my FIL went on to play college football and start two successful companies.
You can curse the dark or light a candle.
I’m happy that he is going away for a looong time. I guess that’s enough time to sit and think about his life that he wasted. Why even try to take something that’s not urs? Well we can say that he just took his own life and away his chance to seeing his son grow up. I just hopr his son don’t grow up to be like him. Just raise him th best way u can. To be honest he need more time…oooppppsssss I forgot he is going to get charged for other crimes that he committed in Pine Bluff. These 52 years might turn into 87 years. He better not drop the soap.
I pray for the young men, yes i was a lil harsh and im sorry if i stepped on anybody toes, but… some of ur comments wasnt heart warming either. I say im sorry to my self first for lettn ur comments get to me in a way it should hav and im not judgn the victim but how u know sumthn wasnt meant for her, im sure glad nothn happened to her tho… I leave wit these remarks, PUT AND KEEP GOD FIRST, ANYWAY… thats probably y he got so much time is because he had family members prayn for him, it could hav been worse u know.. MAY GOD CONTUNIE TO BLESS ALL, BLACK AND WHITE……
ONE OF THESE YOUNG MEN IS MY NEPHEW AND I LOVE HIM VERY MUCH. HE IS REALLY SORRY FOR WHATEVER PART HE PLAYED IN THIS SITUATION. HE CHOSE TO BE AT THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME AND IT CHANGED HIS WHOLE LIFE. HE LOST HIS MOTHER DURING THIS TIME, HE HAD A CLEAN RECORD, A GOOD JOB, WAS GOING TO COLLEGE AND IN A BLINK OF AN EYE ONE BAD DECISION CHANGED ALL THAT. GOD PLEASE GIVE HIM A SECOND CHANCE.
A few months earlier that would have been me that got dragged out and beat and I would have been pregnant because that was my shift and I thank God it never happened to me and feel so sorry for the lady who it did happen to. I pray these young men get they’re lives right for they’re families and friends sakes cuz they seem to have too many people who care about them for them to risk losing so much for nothing.