Two plead no contest to felony robbery; sentencing set for June

Two of three men arrested and charged in connection with a December 2013 standoff at a Lawrence apartment pleaded no contest Tuesday to amended charges.

Jerome Leon Miller III, 20, of Topeka, and Christopher Allen Freeman, 22, of Lawrence, both entered no contest pleas Tuesday to felony robbery. The two were initially charged alongside Marcus Jerome Lee Bell, 28, of Lawrence, with aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated battery following their Dec. 17, 2013, arrests.

Miller and Freeman will be sentenced in June and could face sentences of between 31 and 136 months in prison, depending on their criminal histories. Bell, meanwhile, has an ongoing case and is scheduled to return to court on May 13. All three are in jail on $50,000 bonds.

The men were arrested after an hours-long standoff at an apartment in the 1700 block of West 24th Street. Assistant District Attorney Amy McGowan said Tuesday that a victim was taken to the apartment that morning and forcibly made to give up his clothing, shoes, glasses and cellphone at gunpoint.

District Judge Kay Huff will sentence Freeman on June 3 and Miller on June 10.