This article was originally published by Madeleine O’Neill on goerie.com on Aug 10, 2017 

A 24-year-old Erie man will soon be eligible for parole after his sentencing Thursday for his role in a November robbery.

The defendant, Richard O. Ricks, received nine months to two years, less a day, from Erie County Judge John Garhart.

The sentence was in the standard range of state sentencing guidelines. The subtraction of one day from the maximum sentence will keep Ricks out of state prison, which takes inmates with sentences of two years or longer.

Ricks received credit for more than eight months already served.

Ricks pleaded guilty in June to a third-degree felony count of robbery and a first-degree misdemeanor count of terroristic threats. Ricks said his involvement in the Nov. 20 robbery was “a poor decision.”

“I don’t know why I did it,” he said to Garhart.

Garhart said he had received several letters from Ricks in which he claimed he committed the crime to get gas money for a friend. Ricks was ordered to pay $500 in restitution.

Erie police said Ricks robbed Gary’s Variety, 2521 Buffalo Road, of cash after entering the store wearing a mask and demanding money. Police said Ricks’ co-defendant, 20-year-old Tyvonn T. Green, admitted to driving Ricks to and from the store in the robbery.

Green pleaded guilty in March to a first-degree misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property. Felony counts of robbery and criminal conspiracy were dropped as part of a plea agreement with the Erie County District Attorney’s Office that required Green to cooperate with prosecutors. He was sentenced to two years of probation in June.

Madeleine O’Neill can be reached at 870-1728 or by email. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNoneill.