CAPE GIRARDEAU — A Chesterfield, Missouri, man was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison Monday on multiple felonies in connection with a November 2018 armed robbery in Ripley County.
The first of three defendants to be sentenced, James M. Judd was sentenced to 210 months by U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr., according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell.
Upon his release from prison, Sorrell said, Judd will be placed on a three-year period of supervised release.
The 31-year-old pleaded guilty in September to the felonies of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence and interference with commerce by robbery.
He had been accused of acting with two other people — Ashley Purdom of Warrenton, Missouri, and Travis W. Davis of Collinsville, Illinois — to rob a marijuana dealer in Ripley County in November 2018.
Since the time of Judd’s plea, Purdom and Davis also have pleaded guilty to their roles in the robbery. Davis is to appear Jan. 22 for sentencing, and Purdom Feb. 18.
Purdom pleaded guilty to the felony of aiding and abetting in the possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
The facts as detailed in the plea agreements signed separately by Judd, Davis and Purdom say in November 2018, she was living with a man in Ripley County.
Purdom reportedly called Davis and asked him to come to Missouri to get her and take her back to Illinois.
“Purdom informed Davis that (the man) was in possession of several pounds of marijuana and some firearms in (his) gun safe and that Davis could take the marijuana and firearms by robbery,” the plea agreements say. “Davis agreed to the plan.”
Davis, the plea agreement says, asked “his associate,” Judd, to come along with him on the trip to take the marijuana. Judd agreed.
The men reportedly took a short-barreled shotgun to “accost the dealer” to take his marijuana and firearms.
The pair reportedly drove to Ripley County in Judd’s vehicle.
“They arrived late on the evening of Nov. 6, 2018,” the plea agreements further say. “Both men left Judd’s vehicle and began walking to the front” of the Ripley County home.
“Davis was openly carrying a Mossberg 12-gauge short-barreled shotgun as he walked to the front door,” the plea agreements further say.
As Davis came near the front door, the plea agreements say, he shot the door three times, damaging the locks so they could gain entry.
Purdom had seen the men arrive and had walked to the front door to unlock it to allow Judd and Davis to enter.
“However, when Davis fired the shotgun, numerous pellets from the shotgun struck Purdom,” causing her to fall to the floor, the plea agreements say.
Davis and Judd reportedly entered the home and accosted the man with the shotgun.
“They secured (him) with zip ties and threatened him with the shotgun in order to obtain the code to unlock (the man’s) gun safe,” the plea agreements further say.
After being given the code to the safe and unlocking it, Davis and Judd reportedly took about eight pounds of marijuana and some firearms back to Judd’s vehicle.
A subsequent investigation, according to Purdom’s plea agreement, revealed that Purdom, Judd and David were in Collinsville.
All three reportedly were arrested in Illinois at Davis’ home.
Some of the firearms reportedly stolen from the marijuana dealer were found in the home, along with the short-barreled shotgun.
As part of her plea, Purdom admitted she aided and abetted Davis and Judd in possessing the eight pounds of marijuana taken from the Ripley County man.
At that time, she faces up to five years in prison, followed by up to a two-year period of supervised release.
Davis pleaded guilty in October to the felonies of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence, robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
At that time, he faces up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge, up to life in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and 20 years on the robbery charge.