London man gets 12 years in prison for robbing couple at hotel

Whitley Circuit Judge Paul Winchester sentenced a London man to 12 years in prison Tuesday morning for robbing a couple at a Corbin hotel in 2012.

Jason A. Wagers, 35, of 569 Laurel Road, pled guilty Tuesday morning in Whitley Circuit Court to first-degree robbery and theft by unlawful taking over $500 but less than $10,000.

In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss a first-degree persistent felony offender charge against Wagers.

According to his indictment, he has prior felony convictions for first-degree wanton endangerment and first-degree criminal mischief in Whitley County in 2011, and a second-degree robbery conviction, which occurred Dec. 9, 2004 in Knox County.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble said that Wagers will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Trimble said that the plea deal is similar to one Wagers worked out in Laurel County for two robberies in the North Corbin area that also called for a 12-year prison sentence.

Under the terms of the Whitley County plea deal, both sentences will be served concurrently, or at the same time.

Trimble said that he is pleased with the resolution of the case.

"It’s a fair plea," he added.

Wagers will also be required to pay over $1,900 in restitution once he is released from custody.

On Sept. 15, 2012, Wagers, who was armed with a handgun, and Ricky A. Vaughn, 23, who was armed with a knife, threatened the use of physical force on John Conner and Vicki Conner, according to their indictments.

Wagers and Vaughn allegedly took a laptop, $100 cash, a LG straight talk flip phone and jewelry belonging to the couple.

According to Wagers arrest warrant, the couple picked Wagers out of a photo lineup, identifying him as one of the two men, who robbed them while they were staying at the hotel.

The robbers allegedly forced their way into the couple’s room and held them at gunpoint while taking unspecified items.

The theft and robbery charges are still pending against Vaughn. Part of Wagers’ plea agreement calls for him to testify truthfully against his co-defendant, Trimble said.

On July 19, Wagers pled guilty in Laurel Circuit Court to robbing the Taco Bell in North Corbin and another Laurel County business in exchange for a 12-year prison sentence.

Wagers was indicted by a Laurel County grand jury in November on the charges stemming from the Taco Bell robbery on Oct. 28, during which he fled with $996.91 after locking four employees in the freezer.

Laurel County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the restaurant on U.S. 25E about 7:24 p.m. after a customer came in and found the store empty and the cash drawers standing open.

The employees told deputies they had been forced inside the freezer by a lone gunman who had brandished a pistol.

Deputies were called to the Cash Xpress store on U.S. 25 about 10:30 a.m. on June 16, 2012.

The clerk told deputies that a white male in his mid 20’s, between 5’10" and 6′ tall and weighing about 190 pounds, came into the store, pointed a handgun at the clerk and demanded money.

After the clerk gave him the money, the robber forced her into a back room and then fled the scene. The clerk was not injured.

According to the plea agreement, Wagers made off with $2,977.07 in that robbery.