2 men get prison in '18 holdups of 3 central Arkansas stores

Two robbers who held up three convenience stores in Jacksonville in November have been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Sentencing papers filed Tuesday by deputy prosecutor Robbie Jones show Xavier Laron Benson, 26, of Jacksonville was sentenced by Pulaski County Circuit Judge Herb Wright after pleading guilty to four counts of aggravated robbery. He will have to serve 10½ years before he can apply for parole.

Under the plea agreement negotiated by defense attorney Willard Proctor, prosecutors dropped felony theft and evidence tampering charges.

His co-defendant, 28-year-old Ricky Rashad McClure of Russellville, pleaded guilty to the same charges in July in a similar arrangement with prosecutors negotiated by his public defender, Joseph Joslin.

Court filings show the pair held up Valero Superstop at 2215 N. First St., on Nov. 12, robbed Buck's Country Store at 1605 S. JP Wright Loop Road four days later, and then hit The Macon Station at 22311 Arkansas 107 on Nov. 19.

In the Valero holdup, clerk Michael Witherspoon was robbed by two masked men with pistols who made him lie on the floor, one of them saying, "We don't want your life. Just be still." One gunman emptied the cash register while the second grabbed several packs of cigarettes, with the robbers fleeing with about $700 and $140 worth of cigarettes.

Buck's Country Store owner Naqui Syed said he and his wife were robbed by two gunmen who got away with $500 from the register and another $300 from the safe. A customer, Julia Cousette, was made to lie on the floor while the robbers confronted the store workers.

The Macon Station robbers stole $1,400 in store cash and cigarettes from clerk Peyton Davis, plus $300 of his own money and another $330 from customer Angela Casteel.

Benson came to the attention of Jacksonville police about a week after the Macon Station robbery, court filings show. Officers were investigating a domestic disturbance involving Benson at his residence at the Eastwood Apartments at 1011 S. James St. and had to chase him down to arrest him.

During the chase, Benson dropped 25 packs of unopened Newport cigarettes and a loaded black .22 caliber handgun, which police determined was the same gun used in the Valero robbery, court filings show.

A search of Benson's apartment turned up clothing worn during the two robberies. Benson also identified McClure as the second robber.

Questioned by Pulaski County sheriff's deputies about the Macon Station holdup, McClure said he used a plastic gun, not a real one, then broke it and threw it away after the holdup, court filings show.

Benson does not have any prior felony convictions. McClure was sentenced to four years on probation in Faulkner County in August 2011 after pleading guilty to second-degree battery. That sentence was extended by five years of probation in March 2012 after he pleaded guilty to robbery, court filings show.

Metro on 09/09/2019

Upcoming Events