Roland man charged in April 2021 shooting on Fort Smith south side draws ten-year prison term
A Roland man who was involved in a April 2021 shooting in the 4600 block of South P Street in Fort Smith was sentenced to ten years with an additional twenty years suspended on Wednesday after accepting a plea deal in Sebastian County Circuit Court.
According to an affidavit for a warrant for arrest, 19-year-old Jeremiah Willis was first charged with Aggravated Robbery after he and a second suspect traveled to a home at 4611 South P in order to rob the residents of a number of firearms,
.According to that affidavit, they had previously taken a firearm from a minor resident of the home at gunpoint and thought they could do so again. The residents of the house and a neighbor armed themselves and during the confrontational Willis fired his weapon and struck one of the victims in the abdomen.
One of the men from the residence returned fire and Willis was also struck in the stomach. A second suspect, Simon Plank, also fired a weapon during the confronation.
In the plea deal on Wednesday, the charge for Willis was reduced from the Class Y felony to Class A Felony Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Robbery.
In addition to the ten-year sentence and the twenty suspended years, Willis has to pay full restitution to the victims up to $7000. $60 a month for court costs and fees starting 90-days after his release, and was ordered to have no contact with one of the victims.
Simon Plank still faces Aggravated Assault and Third Degree Battery charges and requested a jury trial in his case earlier in the month.
