LYNCHBURG, Va. – An 18-year-old man was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison in connection with a February 2022 Lynchburg armed robbery.
We previously reported that on February 16, 2022, at 6:18 p.m., Lynchburg police officers received a report of an armed robbery that occurred on Bedford Avenue.
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Police said the victim was contacted via social media by a stranger who claimed to know her cousin. Upon meeting, the victim arrived at Bedford Avenue to find three men, including Petty.
All three men displayed guns as Petty took personal property from her car, according to authorities.
Petty was convicted by a Lynchburg jury of the following on Dec. 16, 2022:
- Robbery by use or display of a firearm
- Use of a firearm during a felony
- Possession of a handgun by a minor
Police said Petty was 17 years old at the time of the robbery and had been transferred to Lynchburg Circuit Court for trial as an adult.
On Sept. 19, 2022, Petty pleaded guilty to a related charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted non-violent felon.
Authorities said Petty was further ordered to be of good behavior for 30 years upon his release and submit to 36 months of supervised probation as well as have no affiliation with a criminal street gang.
Petty is scheduled for sentencing on May 31 for another robbery that occurred on Oct. 7, 2021, near 4th and Jackson Streets in Lynchburg.