photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Brandon Jimenez, pictured in September 2020

An Overland Park man was sentenced to 67 months in prison Friday for a December 2019 shooting that injured a teenage boy in Lawrence.

Lawrence police told the Journal-World at the time that Lawrence Memorial Hospital staff had reported that the boy came to the emergency room with a gunshot wound in the early morning of Dec. 9, 2019. The boy was treated for a minor injury and was released from the hospital, a department spokesperson said.

Brandon R. Jimenez, 34, pleaded no contest to three charges in connection with the shooting. He was convicted of attempted aggravated battery, attempted robbery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in October. All three are less severe felonies than his initial charges, attempted second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery and attempted aggravated robbery.

Chief Assistant Douglas County District Attorney Eve Kemple told the judge that she and Jimenez’s defense attorney, Cooper Overstreet, had agreed to recommend the maximum sentences for each of the three counts as part of the plea and that the sentences would run consecutively. Overstreet said he agreed that the plea balanced the interests of all involved in the case.

Kemple said the victim and his mother were both comfortable with the plea agreement as well, and they had chosen not to be present for the sentencing hearing Friday. Douglas County District Court Judge Amy Hanley agreed and sentenced Jimenez to five years and seven months in prison.

Kemple said during the plea hearing that the charges stemmed from a dispute between a 17-year-old boy and his ex-girlfriend. The two had set up a marijuana buy, but the teen grabbed the drugs and ran without paying, Kemple said. The ex-girlfriend, in turn, stole some of the teen’s belongings, Kemple said.

The ex-girlfriend then spoke to Jimenez, and they met up with the teen to give his belongings back and get the money for the marijuana, Kemple said. When they met up in the 3300 block of Magnolia Circle, however, Jimenez got out of the car with a gun, so the teen got back in his car and drove away. Jimenez then fired the gun, striking the teen in the leg, Kemple said.

Jimenez must pay the victim $203 in restitution for medical expenses as part of his sentence. Jimenez was arrested in Las Vegas, and he must also repay $2,762 for the secure transportation to return him to Kansas. Hanley said she would waive court costs and attorney fees, noting that she’d rather he prioritize paying the restitution and transportation fee.

Jimenez will face 24 months of post-release supervision once he’s out of prison. He’s eligible for 15% good time credit on his most serious charge, and 20% on each of the two secondary counts. He will also be required to register as a violent offender for 15 years.

A second case, in which Jimenez was charged with driving without a license, interference with law enforcement and driving without headlights, was dismissed with prejudice as part of the plea agreement.

Hanley revoked Jimenez’s bond after the Oct. 23 plea hearing. Prior to that, he had remained in the custody of the Douglas County Jail on a $100,000 cash or surety bond since he was booked Sept. 29, jail records show. He will get credit for 73 days of jail time.

Related coverage

• Oct. 23, 2020: Man convicted in shooting that injured teen in Lawrence

• Sept. 29, 2020: Overland Park man charged in connection with alleged robbery attempt, shooting that injured teen in Lawrence

• Dec. 9, 2019: Teen boy suffers gunshot wound in Lawrence, police say