Man convicted in robbery, shooting gets jail time
A Coal Center man was sentenced to a total of 10 to 20 years in a state prison on Friday for robbing and shooting another man in the face last year. George A. Roberts Jr., 48, also was ordered to pay Edgar Fazenbaker $21,198 for the medical bills incurred because of the May 1, 2007, shooting.
Roberts fired several shots at Fazenbaker’s car while Fazenbaker, 51, of Uniontown, was parked on Davidson Siding Road in Redstone Township. One of the shots hit Fazenbaker in the nose, and he told jurors that it was hanging off his face as he drove for help.
Fayette County Judge Gerald R. Solomon did not award Fazenbaker compensation for missed work because of injuries he sustained because he did not have any documentation that indicated he could not work. Fazenbaker also did not have documentation about his wages and how long he was off from work, the judge indicated.
Fazenbaker said he was self-employed and made $600 weekly, but was off for about 12 or 13 months following the shooting because he was physically and mentally unable to work.
Solomon sentenced Roberts to 71/2 to 15 years in prison for attempted homicide, plus an additional 21/2 to 5 years for robbery. He ran the sentences consecutive to one another.
State police said Roberts and others planned to rob Fazenbaker.
Roberts, Kimberly Hamm, Donald Law and another woman were allegedly smoking crack cocaine between April 30 and May 1 at a Perryopolis motel. Police said the other woman made a dozen calls to Fazenbaker and arranged a meeting.
Hamm and Law were charged as conspirators in the robbery and theft, but testified that Roberts was the shooter.
Hamm and Law both entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit theft and were not charged with anything relating to the assault.
Roberts’ attorney, Dianne Zerega, had argued that jurors should disregard testimony from Hamm and Law because they received deals for their testimony in the case.
Assistant District Attorney Michelle L. Kelley countered during the trial that neither Hamm nor Law was an angel, but said that they never were charged with the assault on Fazenbaker.