MORGANTOWN — A Morgantown man who robbed a High Life Lounge on Point Marion Road has one week to report to prison.
Curtis Goodman was sentenced to five-18 years in prison by Monongalia County Judge Susan Tucker Tuesday. He will also be required to pay $2,294.87 in restitution. Goodman pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery.
“I feel real regret for what I done and I’m here to accept my punishment,” Goodman told the court.
The 42-year-old said he’s had issues with drugs and alcohol in the past and he felt that alcohol played a big part in his actions.
Tucker said that due to Goodman’s extensive criminal history she had no choice but to impose the statutory sentence. She complimented him for his staying clean since his arrest for this incident and allowed him to self-report to prison.
Goodman thanked her, but she said he should thank himself.
“You earned it by showing you can progress,” she said.
In the early morning hours of November 20, 2017, Goodman was one of the last, if not the last customer at High Life Lounge when he threatened the cashier with harm if they did not open the cash register, Stephen Fitz, prosecuting attorney, said.
Through his body language, Goodman indicated he had a weapon and told the clerk he wanted to get in the safe, Fitz said.
Fitz said Goodman told the clerk “I would hate to have to kill you.”
Goodman was identified through video footage, Fitz said.
He said Goodman was not a good candidate for alternative sentencing and pointed to his record of burglary, aggravated burglary, history with drug abuse and previous probation violations as reasons why. Goodman has a pending parole violation and as a part of the plea deal for the robbery a grand larceny charge from 2015 was dropped.
The state asked for the statutory sentence of five-18 years imprisonment.
Tucker encouraged Goodman to continue to stay clean and to toe the line in prison and reminded him his lawyer could submit a motion for reconsideration at a later date.
