Teens sentenced in grocery store holdup

Update: The seventh of the teens, Patrick Brown, was sentenced Tuesday afternoon, ordered to face a similar punishment as the earlier six. Brown pleaded guilty to only one charge, however: accessory after the fact of armed robbery. Other updates are included below.

Original story: Six former Wando High students got up to six years each in the 2006 robbery of a Mount Pleasant Food Lion, though they could end up serving less time. Most of the students sentenced today had merely served as lookouts during the crime. The two who led the whole thing, Michael Anthony and Sean Shevlino, pleaded guilty earlier this year and were sentenced to 10 years each.

The six sentenced earlier Tuesday were Christopher Cousins, Graham Stolte, Jackie Washington, Michael Dawley, Vincent Weiner, and Max Hartwell. They pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery and accessory after the fact.

From The Post and Courier:

All were sentenced according to the Youthful Offender Act, a sentencing option that could last up to six years, depending on the crime and the offender’s behavior.

The defendants also received the option to apply for the Shock Incarceration Program, which is an intensive boot camp-style program that could shorten their sentences. The program lasts between 90 and 120 days.

If they do not qualify for the Shock program, they will likely serve between 12 to 18 months if they are well-behaved, defense attorneys said. They will serve their time in a facility that houses 16- to 25-year-old offenders.

That leaves Sam Perez, whose sentencing is being handled by a different judge.

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