This article was originally published on GoErie.com by Tim Hahn on August 14, 2018
An Erie man accused of taking part in the armed robbery of another man in the city in July 2017 was sentenced on Tuesday to an Erie County Prison term on his guilty pleas in late June to two felony charges and one misdemeanor count in the case.
Dorion A. Byes, 24, was sentenced to serve 11 1/2 to 23 months in county prison, followed by two years of probation, on a third-degree felony count of robbery; and was given a consecutive two-year term of probation on a misdemeanor count of possessing an instrument of crime. Erie County Judge Daniel Brabender also sentenced Byes to a concurrent term of six months to a year in prison on his guilty plea to a third-degree felony count of carrying a firearm without a license.
Brabender told Byes he was cutting him a break with the sentence, as guidelines called for a state prison term.
“Probably not for you, but for the people that support you,” said the judge, who also ordered Byes to serve 50 hours of community service.
A small crowd of people attended the sentencing in support of Byes and three people, including his parents, addressed the judge in court. Brabender said he also received a number of letters in support of Byes.
Erie police accused Byes of pointing a gun at a 21-year-old man and demanding the victim’s property after he and two women met up with the victim and drove him around on July 30, 2017. The victim was robbed of his car keys, a cell phone and his jewelry, and his car was stolen and later recovered in another part of the city, according to investigators.
Byes’ lawyer, Eric Hackwelder, told Brabender that Byes shows great potential and has strong support from his family and others. He asked the judge to consider an immediate release for Byes, who has been in prison for nearly five months since his arrest in early April.
Byes apologized to the victim in court Tuesday, as well as to his children and his family. He said he took full responsibility for his actions, and noted that he was hanging around the wrong crowd.
“I’m asking for a second chance,” he said.
Byes’ co-defendants have both been sentenced. Cierra C. Stovall, 23, pleaded guilty in late December to a misdemeanor count of conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking and was sentenced to 135 days to one year in prison, and one year of probation. Jenee M. Smith, 27, pleaded guilty in April to a misdemeanor count of theft and was sentenced to one to 23 1/2 months in prison.
John