A former college lacrosse player, who was involved in a 2019 armed robbery and home invasion incident, took a plea deal Thursday.
Lyndsey Kallish, 23, pleaded guilty as a first offender to charges of robbery and participation in criminal street gang activity. Judge Robert McBurney sentenced Kallish to 15 years probation. As part of her plea deal, she has to spend 10 weekends at the Fulton County Jail starting May 31.
Kallish and her then-best friend Lauren Rielly, 24, were involved in a Nov. 8, 2019 armed robbery along with Tyrone Robinson and Maxx Pritchett, who prosecutors say are members of the alleged criminal street-gang YSL.
Robinson and Pritchett went to trial earlier this month and were both found guilty by a Fulton County jury. Robinson was sentenced to 30 years on charges of home invasion, armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and participation in criminal street gang activity.
Pritchett was sentenced to 40 years on similar charges. Kallish and Rielly both testified as state witnesses during the Robinson and Pritchett trial.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
During opening statements, prosecutors described Kallish and Rielly as “two privileged girls, who grew up in North Fulton” and became obsessed with the studio life, gang life and YSL.
The night of the robbery, they were at an apartment in Buckhead with other alleged members of YSL when, Kallish testified, she received a Snapchat message from one of the victims who showed drugs and money at a party in Atlanta.
Rielly testified it was her idea to go to the party and take the money and drugs. She and Kallish, along with Robinson and Pritchett, drove to the party.
Kallish and Rielly testified that they entered the home to scout the place out before exiting, allowing Robinson and Pritchett to enter with guns. Two people inside were pistol-whipped, while the rest were told to lie on the floor while the two men robbed them.
One of the victims testified that he was hit in the face with a gun and lost consciousness, before waking up and seeing someone’s face getting stomped and beaten with the butt of a rifle.
“To this day I’m still traumatized,” the victim said.
The two women waited on the getaway car, while Robinson and Pritchett robbed the place and drove away once they exited the home. They were granted immunity from their testimony being used against them.
On Thursday, Kallish apologized to the victims and said she has dedicated the past four and a half years to create a better version of herself.
“I’m sorry to the victims and their families for the trauma, pain and suffering that was caused and to my family and friends I’ve disappointed as a result,” she said.
Kallish grew up and still lives in Johns Creek, playing lacrosse in high school before getting a scholarship to Life University, where she met and was teammates with Rielly. Since her arrest in 2019, Kallish told McBurney she is now a personal trainer and a waitress and recently got a paralegal certificate.
Robinson’s attorney told Channel 2 Action News that her client didn’t grew up as privileged as Kallish did and did not agree with Kallish’ sentence.
“The sentence for Kallish, who was one of the masterminds of the home invasion, solidifies that there are two justice systems in America, one for the privileged and one for the poor,” the attorney told Channel 2.
Rielly is still facing charges for the home invasion with a trial tentatively scheduled for May 30. She is currently housed at the Atlanta City Detention Center after having her bond revoked because she didn’t follow bond conditions.
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