IOWA CITY — A judge sentenced a Tipton man this week to up to 20 years in prison for shooting a man during a robbery last summer.
Deondre Handley, 26, was sentenced in Johnson County District Court to up to 20 years in prison Tuesday. He pleaded guilty in March to second-degree theft and willful injury resulting in serious injury.Handley was originally charged with attempted murder.
Sixth Judicial District Senior Judge Carl Baker, in his sentencing order, sentenced Handley to up to 10 years on each charge. Handley will have to serve 70 percent of the 10 years on the theft charge before being eligible for parole, and the 10 years on willful injury will run consecutively for a total of up to 20 years to serve.
Baker also placed a no contact order against Handley for the victim, Jerlon Wilkins, and suspended both fines of $1,000 on each charge.
During the March plea hearing, Handley admitted to shooting Jerlon Wilkins with specific intent to cause serious injury.
Wilkins had been sitting in the front passenger seat of a car Handley was driving July 28.
Handley also admitted to committing a robbery during the incident.
A criminal complaint shows Handley was driving a Chevrolet Impala around 11:07 p.m. in the area of Sandusky Drive and Keokuk Street. Wilkins told police he was shot in the back of the head, as he looked out a window.
Handley then stopped the car and Wilkins got out, he told police, according to the complaint. When he looked back in the car, he could see Handley pointing a small, black handgun with a laser at him.
Police said Handley ordered Wilkins to take off his pants, leave them and not tell anyone about the incident. Wilkins then walked to a home in the 1000 block of Sandusky Drive to ask for help.
Handley took the jeans, a cellphone, brown Nike shoes and $300 cash from Wilkins, police said.
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