Felon sentenced to life in prison

From staff reports
Published: May 12, 2008

A Eufaula man has received a life sentence for his role in an armed robbery that occurred last year.
Last month a Eufaula jury convicted Winfred Leon Richards, 36, of 209 E. Fair St. for the armed robbery of the Verizon Wireless store in Eufaula. The verdict came down after 19 minutes of deliberation by the jury.
The robbery occurred in August. According to a press release sent by the District Attorney’s office, Richards entered the store early in the morning Aug. 25 and talked with a female employee working at the time.
He later returned to the store and talked with the same employee, who was standing outside of the store. When the woman turned to go back into the office, he followed her inside, grabbed her from behind and put a gun to her head.
Richards then took her to the back of the store and questioned her about the security and surveillance system before demanding money. The employee opened the cash drawer, and Richards took the money and fled.
The employee immediately called 911 and gave a detailed description of Richards, his clothing and the money he had taken. Soon afterwards, police apprehended him and the employee positively identified him as the offender. He was arrested and searched by an officer, who found the money described by the victim in Richard’s pocket. At the sentencing hearing May 7, District Attorney Ben C. Reeves, Jr. produced evidence of five prior felony convictions for Richards. Circuit Judge Burt Smithart granted Reeves’ request to impose the maximum sentence for the crime: life without the possibility of parole.
“I am very pleased with the sentence,” said Reeves. “This was a just sentence based on Richards’ prior criminal history and the nature of this particular crime.”
Reeves added that he wants business owners and their employees to know that if such a crime is committed against them, the person responsible will be “dealt with in a very severe manner.”
He also thanks the Eufaula Police Department and the jury for their work in apprehending and convicting Richards.