The third of four defendants in a Henry County home invasion case pleaded guilty this week to nine felony counts and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The charges against Dehaven Robin Brown, Justin Oliver Smith, John David Simpson and Benjamin William Palmer included armed robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony. A grand jury had indicted the group on 12 counts stemming from an Aug. 8, 2009, incident in which they forced their way into a McDonough home and robbed nine people during a late-night gathering.
One of the nine victims was former Atlanta Falcons player Bob Whitfield.
Palmer entered his plea Monday, after previous guilty pleas by Smith and Simpson. All three were sentenced to 15 years in prison, plus probation.
According to police reports, two of the defendants were spotted outside the home at 200 The Abbey in McDonough at about 1 a.m. and approached by two guests at the house who saw them lingering around their parked cars. The defendants then pulled guns and demanded money, forcing the two victims back inside the house and attempting to rob the remaining guests and the owner of the house. They stole several hundred dollars and a phone before fleeing, according to a police spokesman.
In response to a 911 call, police located a car fitting the description of the defendants’ vehicle, and that led to the apprehension of all four defendants, according to the police report. One of the defendants was apparently related to one or more of the victims, a police spokesman said.
Seven of the victims were Henry County residents, and the other two were listed as Atlanta residents, including Whitfield.
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