Wichita man sentenced for role in robbery-turned-homicide during $140 marijuana deal
A Sedgwick County judge has ordered a 21-year-old Wichita man to serve five years in prison for his role in a drug-related robbery that turned into a fatal shooting on Aug. 19, 2019.
Jerome Armbeck, 33, of Wichita, was killed during a foot chase in an open field near Harry and Oliver after his brother asked him to help catch a group of thieves that took his backpack at gunpoint during a $140 marijuana sale, authorities have said.
Tairyce A. Jones, who was 17 at the time of the shooting but prosecuted as an adult, originally faced charges including murder but pleaded guilty on July 17, 2022, to one count of aggravated robbery. He was sentenced Tuesday morning by Sedgwick County District Judge David Dahl, Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office spokesman Dan Dillon said by email.
The Eagle typically does not identify juveniles charged with crimes unless they are prosecuted as adults.
Three others were charged in connection with Armbeck’s death and his brother’s robbery. Of those:
Orlando Howard, 18, is due to be sentenced on April 10 for second-degree murder and aggravated robbery. He pleaded guilty on April 8, 2022, and is expected to receive a prison sentence, according to his plea agreement. Like Jones, Howard was also originally charged as a juvenile but is being prosecuted as an adult. He was 15 at the time of the shooting, court records show.
Pierce A. Jackson, 22, pleaded guilty on July 12, 2022, to one count of aggravated robbery. His sentencing date is pending.
Marcus L. Lamar, 23, pleaded guilty on Feb. 15 to counts of aggravated robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Attorneys will ask that he serve five years in prison when he is sentenced on April 10, his plea agreement says.
This story was originally published March 7, 2023 at 4:47 PM.
