Woman gets 2 years for her role in robbery
Man attacked after meeting with her at Lima home last year.
Allen County Common LIMA — Pleas Court Judge Jeffery Reed acknowledged that the defendant before him for sentencing had cooperated with investigators and had greatly aided prosecutors in obtaining convictions against her two co-defendants.
Likewise, he confirmed her similar assistance in what prosecutors called a “very serious” separate, unrelated case. But a coordinated robbery incident nearly a year ago that left a Lima man with injuries requiring hospitalization was more than the judge could overlook.
During a Monday morning hearing, Reed sentenced Melissa Ream, 28, to two years in prison on a second-degree felony charge of robbery for her role in a Jan. 26, 2017, incident that left Stephen Parks with what Reed termed to be “serious physical and psychological harm.”
Ream was initially indicted by a grand jury on charges of felonious assault, aggravated robbery and kidnapping. On Nov. 28, she accepted a deal from prosecutors that called for her to plead guilty to the amended robbery charge in exchange for the state’s dismissal of the remaining charges.
Police officials said Ream, Alexander Armstead and Terry Volbert, all of Lima, conspired to rob Parks on the night of Jan. 26. According to court documents, Parks was visiting Ream, whom he had met online, at 705 Albert St. A man, later identified as Armstead, entered the home wearing a mask and carrying a club and began to beat Parks, stealing his wallet and cellphone before leaving, according to court records.
When police officers arrived at the scene, they located a bloody guitar in the front yard that they determined Parks had used to defend himself during the attack.
Armstead, 31, was sentenced to nine years in prison on a first-degree felony charge of aggravated robbery for his role in the robbery. Volbert, 29, was sentenced by Reed to six years in prison in connection with the incident. The judge said the lengthy sentence handed to Armstead was based on conclusions from investigators that he delivered the blow that injured Parks.
Reed said Ream is eligible to apply for early judicial release immediately. She must serve a mandatory three years on parole following her release from prison.