Randall Rowe, 36 of Hamlet, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the state in a previous hearing to charges of Robbery as a Class B felony, Battery as a Class C felony and Receiving Stolen Property as a Class D felony. Ten other charges would be dismissed. He was to be sentenced on June 25 but it was continued to allow the state and defense to prepare arguments for the judge to make his decision as to whether the sentences on the counts should be consecutive or concurrent.
Rowe was arrested Dec. 30, 2011, along with his brother, after they allegedly entered the home of Wade Berg in Hamlet where Berg was beaten on the head with a handgun. Berg’s hand was also allegedly beaten to the extent that the tip of his finger became detached. The pair also allegedly stole various items from Berg’s home. After the battery, Rowe reportedly forced Berg to drive to 1st Source Bank and withdraw approximately $800 in order to bail out Berg’s sister, who was Rowe’s girlfriend, from jail. Berg claims all of that was done at gunpoint which Rowe disputes.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Kim Hall decided to sentence Rowe consecutively on the Battery and Robbery counts with the sentence for Receiving Stolen Property to be served concurrently. Rowe will serve 20 years in the Department of Corrections on the count of Robbery, five years for the Battery count, and two years for the Receiving Stolen Property count. The other charges were dismissed.
Rowe will also have to pay $328 in restitution to the victim, submit to a DNA swab and pay court costs. He indicated he will seek appeal with a public defender.
