Man pleads guilty for role in Gantt robberyAN PLEADS GUILTY FOR ROLE IN GANTT ROBBBERY

Lorenzo Armon Whatley, 24, of Troy, pled guilty this week for his part in what law enforcement has come to call the “Gantt 9 Robbery,”  based on the number of people arrested for the crime. Whatley and eight others forced their way into Felix Jones’s home in Gantt in an attempt to rob him.

“All of the defendants went to prison except for one,” said District Attorney Walt Merrell. “A female present at the scene did not take part in the crime and instead sat in the car. Everyone else, including Whatley, forced their way into Jones’s residence to assist with the robbery.  Whatley and a few others were armed with pistols.”

For his part in the robbery, Whatley was sentenced to 15 years in the Alabama Department of Corrections.

“So far, each defendant has been sentenced to a term consistent with the extent of their involvement in the crime,” Merrell said. “Whatley has no prior felonies, but a crime of this serious nature doesn’t allow much room for leniency. Someone could have been killed that night.  We are fortunate this is not a murder case.”

Merrell expressed his appreciation for the “hard work of Covington County Sheriff’s Office and the Gantt Police Department, as well as the help of the Andalusia Police Department. They all worked together for the common good and did a great job.”

Merrell said he expects the case against the last defendant, Ramone Smith of Andalusia, to be tried later this year.