Man pleads to guilty to lesser charge in medication robbery

A man once charged with robbing a group of their prescription medication pleaded guilty to violating his probation and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Terry J. Roberts, 29, of 733 August St. in Jackson, entered his plea before Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis on Tuesday.

In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped a first-degree robbery and felonious restraint charge from a Sept. 18 incident at the Route W Trailer Park.

He had been accused of using a handgun to rob a woman and her friends of medication. No one was injured.

In committing the robbery, Roberts violated conditions of his probation on two separate cases.

In 2002, he was arrested and charged with three counts of forgery. He was sentenced to three years in prison, with 120 days of shock incarceration.

In 2003, he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and sentenced to four years in prison, with 120 days shock.

When Lewis asked Roberts what he did to violate his parole, the defendant said he got drunk on Sept. 18 and could not remember what happened afterwards.

Among other things, people on probation are not allowed to drink alcohol.

Lewis handed down three-year and four-year prison sentences for Roberts' violation, to run concurrently.