Trio convicted of armed robbery of teenagers

A Pottstown man and two others have been convicted in their roles for the armed robbery of two teenagers.

NORRISTOWN » Three men, one from Pottstown and two from Philadelphia, have been convicted of charges for their roles in the armed robbery of two teenagers in Norristown.

Marquese T. Alexander, 21, of the 7100 block of Andrews Avenue, Philadelphia, was convicted in Montgomery County Court on Monday of charges of robbery and person not to possess a firearm in connection with the 8:30 p.m. June 25, 2016, robbery of two teenagers in the 300 block of Haws Avenue in Norristown. Prosecutors alleged Alexander brandished the handgun and pointed it at the victims during the incident.

“He had the gun in his hand and pointed it at the victims’ heads, a 15-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl, and robbed them of their belt, shoes and cellphone,” alleged Assistant District Attorney Roderick Fancher, adding the belt and sneakers were designer apparel.

Lamar J. Leaphart, 20, of the first block of Chestnut Street, Pottstown, also was convicted of a felony charge of robbery in connection with the incident.

“He had a gun but he did not point it. He had it in his waistband. He set up the meeting with the juveniles that they robbed. He was the setup guy. Basically, he had Marquese Alexander’s back,” Fancher alleged.

Leaphart and Alexander were convicted of the charges by Judge William R. Carpenter who presided over a non-jury trial at which the pair stipulated to certain facts contained in an affidavit of probable cause. Alexander will remain in the county jail while he awaits sentencing and Leaphart was permitted to remain free on bail pending sentencing later this year.

“I think they just wanted to make an easy buck, going after people who are easy to target and who they think won’t call police,” Fancher alleged. “But (the victims) did call police.”

A third man, Jron M. Hill-Phillips, 21, also of Andrews Avenue in Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery and receiving stolen property in connection with the incident. Under a plea agreement, Hill-Phillips, who prosecutors said was the least culpable, was sentenced to 11½ to 23 months in the county jail, to be followed by four years’ probation. “He was basically the lookout guy and he sold the phone that was robbed from the victim a day later,” alleged Fancher, describing Hill-Phillips as aiding in the robbery.

An investigation began when two juveniles reported to Norristown police that they had been robbed at gunpoint by three males in the 300 block of Haws Avenue, according to the criminal complaint filed by Norristown Detective Charles Leeds. The investigation determined the teenage male victim had agreed to meet Leaphart for the purpose of selling him a designer belt. But when the victims arrived at the meeting place they were confronted by the three defendants.

“The female feared for her life. In her mind she thought his face was so serious, he looked like he was going to shoot and she thought she was going to die,” said Fancher, referring to the teenage girl’s reaction when she was confronted by Alexander with the gun.

Detectives used a tracking device on the stolen cellphone and reviewed social media posts to help identify the suspects, court documents indicate.