A man who robbed three area businesses with a toy gun was sentenced to some very real prison time.
“I don’t think prison is the right place for people with sicknesses, whether it’s drug addiction or mental problems, but I have to look at the crime committed and there’s consequences,” Monongalia County Circuit Court Judge Phillip Gaujot said. “Part of those consequences is punishment. Society demands punishment and the form of punishment in your case is imprisonment, loss of liberty, living your life with a felony conviction”
Gaujot ultimately sentenced 54-year-old Thomas Hollis to 5-18 years in prison for each of his two second-degree armed robbery convictions. The sentences will run concurrently. Hollis must also pay restitution to the three businesses he robbed, a one-time $20 payment to the Victim’s Assistance Program and court costs.
Using a toy gun painted to look real, Hollis previously pleaded guilty to robbing Books-A-Million, in Pierpont Centre, on Oct. 18, 2018; Hornbeck Road Gamestop on Oct. 20, 2018; and Smoker Friendly, in Pierpont Centre, on Dec. 17, 2018. He must reimburse the businesses $246.99, $3,264 and $600 respectively.
He was convicted on two counts of second-degree armed robbery, rather than three, as part of the plea agreement. The state did not take a position on the sentences running concurrently rather than consecutively, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Chad Noel said.
Noel did oppose defense counsel Bill Pennington’s request for probation and said the state would also oppose home confinement, though Pennington did not explicitly request it. He credited Hollis for readily admitting to the crimes when police approached him and said that was taken into consideration as part of the plea. Noel also pointed out that in one of the robberies, Hollis tied people up.
“The state fears the message that might be sent if Mr. Hollis is sent back into the community with just a sentence of probation,” Noel said.
Hollis acknowledged he was wrong and said he hopes to improve and spend the rest of his life putting his best effort into bettering the community and making a difference. He said he felt bad for the people he hurt and while he didn’t have any intention of hurting them, they didn’t know that at the time.
“What I did was wrong, you know. Even at the time that I did it, I knew that I was wrong,” Hollis said. “I thought I didn’t have anywhere else to turn. I mean it’s not an excuse, I’ve lost my way the past few years. I’ve been a selfish individual. I definitely want to change that. No matter what the outcome here, I want to make the best of it.”
Gaujot said that if Hollis could secure a place to live and a way to pay for home confinement, he would be willing to hold a hearing on the matter. He’d rather Hollis pay for home confinement than for the state to pay roughly $30 a day to keep him in prison — especially as the state’s correctional facilities are already overflowing.
Hollis would also need to secure appropriate drug and mental health treatment plans prior to home confinement being considered.
