Published: November 05, 2009 09:58 pm      

Brothers sentenced in New Albany robbery

Man pleads guilty to setting employer’s trucks on fire

Two brothers were sentenced on Thursday for an attempted robbery at a New Albany apartment complex on Sept. 11, 2008.

Christopher Pack, 24, and Nathan Pack, 20, reportedly rang the doorbell at the residence and then attempted to rob the man living there.

They pleaded guilty in August to class C felony attempted robbery. Superior Court No. 1 Judge Susan Orth accepted the plea and the sentence at a hearing on Thursday.

Christopher Pack was sentenced to six years at the Indiana Department of Correction and two years of probation, while Nathan Pack was sentenced to five years at the Department of Correction and three years of probation.

The brothers have been in the Floyd County Jail since their arrest the day of the attempted robbery.

Court records state the younger brother was carrying a soft air pistol and became involved in a struggle with the victim. The older brother then struck the victim in the head with a metal pipe, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The victim was reportedly able to wrestle away the gun, and Nathan Pack was detained at the scene until police arrived. Court records state Nathan Pack admitted the two had gone to the apartment building to the rob a man of marijuana.

Their attorney, Eric Weitzel, declined to comment after the hearing.



Floyds Knobs man facing 16-year sentence for arson

A Floyds Knobs man pleaded guilty on Thursday in Floyd County Superior Court No. 1 to class B felony arson.

Christal W. Keith, 45, admitted to starting a fire in July of 2008 that destroyed two company trucks at Sprigler Concrete Inc.

According to the plea agreement, Keith would be sentenced to 10 years at the Department of Correction followed by six years of probation. He would also have to pay more than $30,000 in restitution to the company.

Police said Keith had a long-running feud with the company and had been fired and rehired several times over the years. Keith lost his job about a week before the fire.

Following the fire, Keith was found walking down the street not far from the company. He was arrested for public intoxication and later confessed to the arson, according to police.

The trucks were valued at more than $140,000, police say.

Orth set a sentencing date for Dec. 10 at which time she will decide whether to accept the plea agreement.



Will charges be dropped in IUS assault case?

An attorney for the man accused of bringing a gun to Indiana University Southeast said it appears the story was “completely fabricated.”

Zachary Kilgore, 33, of Louisville, has been charged with class C felony intimidation, class D felony pointing a firearm and class A misdemeanor domestic battery. He appeared in Floyd County Superior Court No. 1 on Thursday.

A 31-year-old female IUS student reported to police on Oct. 21 that a man she had previously had a relationship with assaulted her while she was in her car in the Hickory parking lot by Knobview Hall.

She said he had a gun with him when he approached her vehicle, but he reportedly left campus before police could find him.

Kilgore’s attorney, Patrick Renn, said there is a videotape from St. Stephen Baptist Church in Louisville the same date and about the same time as the alleged assault. The video shows a man purported to be Kilgore at the church, more than a 30-minute drive from IUS.

Renn said there are three witnesses that claim Kilgore was at the church at the time of the alleged incident. He said the alleged victim has a history of making false allegations and has told prosecutors she wants to drop charges.

“These charges may in fact be dismissed at some point,” Deputy Prosecutor Tim Gray said, although he asked the judge to hold Kilgore one more night at $50,000 court cash or surety bond while prosecutors continue to investigate the case.

Orth agreed to continue the bond at that amount. Prosecutors are expected to make a decision by 11 a.m. on Friday whether or not to drop the charges.

Renn said Kilgore turned himself in to his parole officer in Louisville after he learned of the charges.