Local teens to enter plea in robbery case
Two teens involved in the alleged robbery of an Ohio couple, who got lost in a South Union Township housing project, agreed to plead guilty Monday to their roles in the encounter in exchange for probation. Fayette County District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon said she offered the probationary sentences to Virdell Banks, 18, and Isiah Dewayne Colbert, 19, because they agreed to cooperate with the prosecution of another person involved.
Colbert, Banks, Joe Earl Hines, 17, and Travis Branch, 15, were all charged with taking part in the robbery and the beating of Christopher Wolfe and Lisa Auerbach last July 28. Wolfe and Auerbach ended up in the Snyder Terrace area of Bierer Wood Acres around 3:30 a.m. when they got lost driving around, said state police.
According to police, Volpe was driving behind Colbert when Hines got out of Colbert’s vehicle and trained a gun on Volpe and Auerbach. The others, police allege, opened the car doors and beat Volpe, stealing his wallet.
Banks and Colbert will plead guilty to simple assault and criminal conspiracy to commit theft and reckless endangerment. Other more serious charges were dropped against them at their August preliminary hearings.
Vernon said Hines earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and other related charges in exchange for one to two years in prison.
Banks and Colbert are expected to testify against Branch, who faces two counts of robbery, aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment, theft and eight counts of criminal conspiracy.
Banks and Colbert will enter their guilty pleas this week before President Judge Conrad B. Capuzzi.