A man on probation after receiving a lenient sentence under Georgia’s First Offender Act for an armed robbery in Cobb County had his status revoked and was resentenced to jail after authorities said he was accused in a string of other serious crimes.
William Antonio Ellis, 25, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of robbery in 2013 and was sentenced to seven years in prison, Cobb Judicial Circuit District Attorney Flynn D. Broady said. Ellis was released on parole in 2018 and his probation period began at the conclusion of his seven-year sentence. Once Ellis was on probation, “he soon violated his probation by committing new felony offenses in multiple states,” Broady said.
Ellis has since been charged with trafficking methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and obstruction in DeKalb County, Broady said. Outside of the state, Ellis was charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery and gun charges in Johnson County, Tennessee, and more gun charges in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
Ellis’ multiple arrests led to a probation revocation hearing in Cobb, Broady said. During the December hearing, law enforcement officers from all three states where Ellis was arrested testified against him.
A Superior Court judge in Cobb then revoked Ellis’ first offender status and resentenced him to 20 years in prison, the maximum allowed, Broady said.
The original case involved Ellis and an underage victim, according to Broady. Ellis used a buying and selling group on Facebook to arrange the purchase of an iPhone from a minor for $200. He and the victim made plans to meet outside Signal Hill, Ellis’ neighborhood in west Cobb.
When Ellis arrived, he instead held a gun to the victim’s head and took the cellphone by force, Broady said. Ellis left with the phone but was later arrested after bragging about committing the robbery on social media, according to the DA.
Editor’s note: The original article incorrectly said Ellis was on parole when he was charged with new crimes. Ellis was actually on probation, which carries a different legal status than parole.
About the Author
