Eric Gregory Lawson pled no contest today in Barry County Circuit Court to armed robbery as a fourth habitual offender. As part of his plea, Lawson agreed to a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison, the Barry County Prosecutor’s office said in a news release today.
Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt required the mandatory minimum as part of the plea to address Lawson’s lengthy and violent criminal history. The charges stem from the Oct. 14, 2015 robbery of the Hastings Walgreens. A less serious offense of unarmed robbery and a weapon’s offense were dismissed as part of the plea.
“We hope to bring some measure of peace and justice to the victims and to our community,” Nakfoor-Pratt said. The prosecutor’s office is coordinating efforts with the prosecutor’s office in Trumbull County Ohio, where Lawson is also facing charges for robbery.
Lawson’s sentencing is set for June 15 at 8:15 a.m. before Judge Amy McDowell.