HANCOCK COUNTY — An Indianapolis man involved in a late-night gun sale that turned into an armed robbery where a shot was fired has been sentenced to several years in prison for the 2020 incident.
Ladell Keith Burrus, 24, who was facing six charges in all, pleaded guilty to a Level 3 felony count of armed robbery and a Level 4 felony count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.
Burrus was handed a 12-year term at the Indiana Department of Correction with four years suspended during a hearing last week in front of Judge D.J. Davis in Hancock County Superior Court 1. The most serious charge was punishable by a sentence of up to 16 years in prison.
Four other charges in the case were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Deputy prosecutor Catherine Wilson had asked for a 14-year term because of Burrus’ criminal history and because a weapon was fired during the robbery.
“We were hoping for more years in prison on this case because a shot was fired and someone could have really been hurt or worse,” Wilson said. “But, we’ll respect the judge’s ruling and move on.”
Burrus and another man, Aaron Carl Johnson, were accused of the robbery, which took place in the 300 block of Berry Street in Greenfield around midnight one night in early September 2020.
The victim told police he and the two men met so he could buy a gun, a transaction that initially started through social media. When the two sides met in Greenfield, the deal took a turn for the worse.
The victim told police the men grabbed him, held him at gunpoint and demanded cash. But the victim refused, a struggle started and the victim was able to get away. That’s when a shot was fired and the suspects took off, officials said.
The shot didn’t hit anyone. The victim, who suffered a few minor injuries while fleeing, called police and gave a description of the car the suspects were driving. Police were able to find the vehicle and stop it without incident.
In January, Johnson accepted a plea agreement and was sentenced to 892 days in jail with 568 days suspended for a Level 6 felony for assisting a criminal and a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana.
