stjoenews.net | In the courts, Oct. 30, 2009

A jury needed a little more than two hours to find Antwoin M. Craig, 29, guilty of first-degree burglary on Wednesday in Buchanan County Circuit Court.

Assistant prosecutor Kate Schaefer alleged that Mr. Craig called his friends in Kansas City, identified a house on Penn Street and helped plan an April 2008 burglary, though the defendant wasn’t present for the actual crime. Two of the three men who executed the burglary, which involved numerous shots fired in and around the house, testified Wednesday.

Seneca L. Harrison wouldn’t admit on the stand that Mr. Craig contacted him about the burglary, but Ms. Schaefer submitted a transcript of Mr. Harrison’s plea that implicated Mr. Craig. Anthony L. Jackson, who also pleaded guilty to burglarizing the house, testified that Mr. Craig was behind the burglary from the start.

A jury of eight men and four women deliberated for two hours and 15 minutes before finding the defendant guilty on the burglary charge. The jury acquitted Mr. Craig of the second charge — armed criminal action. Mr. Craig will be sentenced Dec. 3 at 1:15 p.m.

St. Joseph man pleads guilty

to 3 felonies

Jesse L. Lukehart, 20, pleaded guilty to three separate felonies and received a seven-year sentence on Thursday in Buchanan County Circuit Court.

The defendant admitted to stealing a bike from a garage of a residence near 15th Street and Highland Avenue on Sept. 7. When a man chased down Mr. Lukehart, the defendant stabbed the victim with a knife.

Judge Dan Kellogg sentenced Mr. Lukehart to seven years each on the second-degree burglary and second-degree assault charges, to be served at the same time.

Mr. Lukehart also admitted to selling about $100 worth of marijuana to a confidential informant on March 31. That action netted the defendant a five-year sentence, also to be served concurrent to the two other felonies.

All three of Judge Kellogg’s sentences followed the plea agreement.

Compiled by R.J. Cooper, who can be reached at rjcooper@npgco.com.