An 18-year-old Mount Carmel man has been sentenced to 17 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to armed robbery in Wabash County Circuit Court Tuesday.
Joshua Parrish appeared in court Tuesday with Public Defender William Easton and entered a guilty plea to one count of armed robbery, a Class X felony.
Court records show the judge accepted the plea and, after considering Parrish's criminal history and the negotiated agreement, sentenced him to 17 years in prison, with the sentence to be served at 50 percent. Parrish will also be subject to up to 18 months of mandatory supervised release.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed the remaining seven felony charges, including robbery of a victim age 60 or older, aggravated robbery, two counts of attempted aggravated criminal sexual assault, attempted aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, and unlawful restraint.
The charges stemmed from an incident on June 19th involving an elderly woman in Mount Carmel.
Prosecutors had alleged Parrish used a knife to rob the woman, threatened to sexually assault her, and attempted to force her into a wooded area.
Parrish had remained in custody while awaiting trial after the court previously determined his release would pose a threat to public safety.
The guilty plea and sentencing bring the criminal case to a close at the trial court level. Parrish was advised of his appeal rights during Tuesday's hearing.
