A Lowndes County teenager was sentenced to prison Wednesday after pleading guilty for his part in an armed robbery and burglary of a Columbus woman.
Tevin Oglen, 18, appeared in Lowndes County Circuit Court before Judge Jim Kitchens and pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and one count burglary of a dwelling. As part of his plea agreement, Oglen received two 15-year sentences and five year’s post-release supervision. The sentences will run concurrently.
Oglen is one of six Columbus teens accused of robbing Karen Winter at gunpoint in 2011. With Wednesday’s plea, four of the six have been sentenced. The two remaining suspects are set to go to trial later this month.
According to authorities, Oglen along with Demonta Gardner, 18, Bobby Bluitt, 18, Jeremy Billups, 17, Corey Lathan, 17, and Michael Satterfield, 17, pushed their way into Winter’s apartment at the Sandpiper apartment complex the night of Sept. 29, 2011 and held a gun to her head as they burglarized her home.
The teens were arrested shortly after. Charged as adults, each teen was charged with one count of armed robbery and one count burglary of a dwelling.
Gardner was the first of the six to be tried in May 2012. He was found guilty of the burglary charge and not guilty of the armed robbery charge. He was sentenced to 20 years with the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
Lathan went to trial in September 2012. He was found guilty for burglary of a dwelling. He was sentenced to serve 15 years, with five suspended.
Gardner, Lathan, Oglen and Billups are currently in the custody of the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center.
Billups pleaded guilty to one count burglary of a dwelling in May for a separate incident. He was sentenced to 25 years.
Bluitt and Satterfield are awaiting trial. Satterfield’s trial is set for Aug. 19. Bluitt’s court date is set for Aug. 21.
As Oglen was being escorted out of the courtroom wearing shackles and orange jumpsuit, Judge Kitchens told him, “Good luck to you, Mr. Oglen. Take care of yourself.”
“Yes sir, I’ll try,” Oglen responded.
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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