A man has been sentenced to 20 years after being convicted
of felony shoplifting and aggravated assault.
Robert Alvin Broady, 63, was sentenced by Chief Judge George
Nunn and ordered to serve the first 13 years in prison without the possibility
of parole.
According to a release, Broady and co-defendant Alfred
Thomas entered a home improvement store on Watson Boulevard on Feb. 7, 2012,
and shoplifted drills. They were confronted by a loss prevention officer in the
parking lot when Broady pulled a knife and stabbed the employee in the chest.
Broady and Thomas then fled the store in a vehicle.
Photos of the two men were obtained from store surveillance
video and distributed to local media. After the media published photos of the
suspects, Warner Robins Police received several tips that one of the offenders
was Broady.
Additional tips came in through CrimeStoppers identifying
the second individual as Alfred Thomas.
Both individuals were captured with the assistance of the
U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force.
Thomas previously pleaded guilty in March of 2012 and was
sentenced to 30 years to serve five years in prison without the possibility of
parole.
Broady and Thomas received “no parole” sentences because
they both had lengthy criminal records, according to the District Attorney’s
Office.
“Houston County shopkeepers and their employees deserve to
operate free from fear of injury or loss of property. Thanks to the Warner
Robins Police Department, local businesses have been relieved of one more violent
thief,” said Assistant District Attorney Jacob W. Poole, who prosecuted Broady,
in a release from the District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney George Hartwig said in the release, “The
publicity from local media here in central Georgia really broke this case open
and lead to these two criminals being identified and ultimately brought to
justice. Warner Robins Police did an excellent job responding quickly and
putting together a very strong case. Violent crimes such as this will be
prosecuted very aggressively in Houston County. My office will continue working
hard to seek a full measure of justice for the business owners of Houston
County and the victims of violent crime.”
HHJ News
