Man given three years for gas station holdups

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A Columbus man was given three years in prison Wednesday morning after pleading guilty to serving as the driver in a pair of gas station robberies.

Richard Brennan Long, 27, appeared in Delaware County Common Pleas Court Wednesday morning to be sentenced for two counts of robbery, one second-degree felony and one third-degree felony.

At the sentencing hearing, Long’s attorney William Leber said Long was “not a bad person, but he made a bad mistake” and asked that Long be sentenced to community control so he could get help with his substance abuse problems.

Long told Delaware County Common Pleas Judge David Gormley that he has been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and church services in the Delaware County Jail.

Long said at his change of plea hearing that he went to the Circle K in Powell and the BP Duchess Shoppe with an acquaintance, John Michael Lanning, 19, of Reynoldsburg.

At Lanning’s change of plea hearing he said he used a gun to demand cash and stole cigarettes. Long told Gormley that he took $100 cash and the cigarettes. At the change of plea hearing, Long said that he honestly didn’t remember parts of the robbery because he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time.

Gormley said that the pre-sentenced report revealed Long was the driver in the series of robberies. Additionally, it was reported at the change of plea hearings that the gun used in the robberies was a bb gun.

Ultimately, Gormley sentenced Long to serve three years in prison for each of the two robbery charges but ordered that the sentences be served consecutively. Gormley said after Long is released from prison he will be subject to three years of post-release control. Long was credited 120 days he spent in the Delaware County jail since his arrest in October.

Lanning was sentenced to four years in prison for two counts of robbery, second-degree felonies, at a hearing on Jan. 13.

A trial for the men had been scheduled for Jan. 17. They were indicted Nov. 3.

Long was in the Delaware County Jail Wednesday, awaiting transport to prison. Lanning is currently serving his prison sentence in the Correctional Reception Center in Orient, Ohio.

Richard Long with his attorney William Leber in Delaware County Common Pleas Court Wednesday.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2017/02/web1_DSC_1431.jpgRichard Long with his attorney William Leber in Delaware County Common Pleas Court Wednesday.

By Glenn Battishill

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Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903 or on Twitter @BattishillDG.

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