Christopher Scott Reed, one of a duo charged with 2011 holdups at Regal Cinema and a Bi-Lo, pleaded guilty Thursday morning to multiple counts of aggravated robbery. He was sentenced by Criminal Court Judge Barry Steelman to 10 years in the Department of Corrections.
Judge Steelman said, "I don't know how you got involved in this. People make mistakes and nobody is immune from that. But it just so happens that your mistakes are going to cost you a lot of your life and liberty."
He continued, "It's unfortunate that you have to serve this time, but you have to be accountable for your choices."
According to police, Reed, now 31, and his friend from college, Ulysses M.
Perry, forced employees of the cinema into a theater and zip tied them to cup holders of seats.
Police said Reed and Perry then waited until a manager arrived and told her at gunpoint to retrieve money for them out of the theater's safe.
The duo allegedly did the same thing at Bi-Lo, but left after an hour because no manager appeared who could open the safe. There, police said they took several cell phones of employees but left with no money.
While they waited for a manager, prosecutor Lance Pope said Reed and Perry tied up employees and held them in the meat locker.
Reed and Perry were both graduates of Lane University. Reed is a former employee of Hardy Elementary School and was working on a master's degree at UTC at the time of the incident.
Reed was represented by defense attorney Bill Speek.