photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Justice L. Dent

The last of four suspects charged in connection with a series of armed robberies around Lawrence in early 2018 was sentenced Tuesday to probation.

Justice L. Dent, 21, had pleaded no contest to two counts of robbery on Dec. 3. A judge sentenced him to 36 months of probation during which he must submit to random substance abuse testing and have no contact with his co-defendants, Dorothy Kliem, trial assistant for the Douglas County district attorney’s office, said via email Tuesday.

Prosecutors alleged that Dent and another man, Corey Allen, entered an apartment in the 2000 block of West Sixth Street on Feb. 20, 2018, wearing masks from the movie “The Purge.” Allen threatened the residents of the apartment with a gun while Dent searched for property to steal, eventually taking some DJ equipment, Senior Assistant District Attorney Debby Moody said during Dent’s plea hearing.

During a second robbery the same day, prosecutors say Dent stole cellphones and some other property from a couple in their home in the 3100 block of Ousdahl Road.

On February 20, two males, one slender black male with earrings, and one chubby white male, used this car (likely a grey Nissan), and wore this purge mask to rob 2 apartments. If you have any info about these crimes, please let us know. pic.twitter.com/5mU7iL8uC8

— Lawrence Police (@LawrenceKS_PD) March 7, 2018

Based on his lack of criminal history, Dent could have been sentenced to probation or prison under Kansas sentencing guidelines. Dent’s appointed defense attorney, Nicholas David, had filed a motion requesting that the judge impose a sentence other than prison based on Dent taking responsibility for his actions and his cooperation, good behavior while on bond, full-time job and his family support system in Lawrence.

According to a police affidavit in the case, True J. Shipley, 21, of Lawrence, set up marijuana buys with people he knew were selling, but, instead of buying, his friends robbed victims in three Lawrence homes. Shipley pleaded no contest to three counts of robbery and was sentenced Dec. 30 to 32 months in prison.

Allen, 31, of McDonough, Ga., pleaded no contest to felony charges of robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threat. He was sentenced Nov. 18 to 59 months, just short of five years.

A Kansas City, Kan., man, Rodney L. McNeal, now 23, was sentenced in May to nearly three years in prison for shooting a man who came home to find McNeal burglarizing his apartment on March 8, 2018, the Journal-World has reported.

Should Dent’s probation be revoked, he faces an underlying prison sentence of 32 months, followed by 24 months of post-release supervision, Kliem said.

The judge assessed court costs and fees for Dent’s appointed attorney, DNA database and probation, Kliem said.