Grand jury indicts alleged gunman from robbery

Published 12:00 am Friday, June 13, 2003

An Ironton man accused of robbing another man at gunpoint during a botched drug deal was indicted Tuesday by a Lawrence County grand jury.

Damon Pringle, 28, of 919 Vernon St., was indicted on one count each of aggravated robbery with a firearms specification, having a weapon under a disability, trafficking in cocaine and intimidation of a witness.

He is one of two men accused of robbing Ironton resident Justin Tate at gunpoint. Tate called authorities on the evening of May 11 and told them he had been held up by two men during a car sale. Tate later told authorities he was robbed when he had gone to a residence in the 3000 block of South Fifth Street to buy drugs.

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Two Proctorville men were indicted in connection with a rash of car break-ins in the eastern end of the county. Robert A. Belle, 20, of 91 Lawrence St., and Ryan Hannon, 22, of Scottown, were each charged with six counts of felony theft, 11 counts of criminal damaging and five counts of theft. The incidents took place between March 13 and April 11.

Others indicted:

-- Robert L. Rowe, 29, of 92 Private Drive 2214, South Point, was indicted on one count of burglary. He is accused of breaking into another residence in South Point in August 2002.

-- David L. Duprea, 22, of Catlettsburg, Ky., He is accused of escaping from the South Point Police Department April 25 during questioning for another incident. Duprea allegedly turned himself in several hours later.

-- Nathaniel Johnson, 24, of Columbus, was indicted on one count of falure to comply with the signal or order of a police officer, improper handling of firearms, and carrying a concealed

weapon. The indictments stem from an incidentthat occured May 16.

-- Larry McClellan, 44, of 308 McPherson, St., Ironton, was indicted on one count of felonious assault. He is accused of attacking a neighbor May 14.

-- Jon K. Wilson, 43, of 764 Old State Route 7, Chesapeake, was indicted on three counts of breaking and entering, one count of burglary and one count of vandalism. Wilson is accused of breaking into the Union Baptist Church, Defender Methodist Church and Chesapeake Community Center. The incident happened between April 20 and 23.

-- Shawn Brown, 33, of 200 Rockwood Ave., Chesapeake, was reindicted to correct an earlier DUI indictment.

There was one secret indictment handed down. It is drug-related.