VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty to charges in connection to an attempted robbery back in 2017 that left the victim with permanent injuries.
A judge has sentenced 33-year-old Kyle Michael Harris after pleading guilty back in January of this year to several charges including aggravated malicious wounding, attempted robbery, 2 counts of use of a firearm, wearing a mask, conspiracy, and possession of a firearm by a non-violent felon.
Harris was sentenced to 35 years in prison with 20 years suspended, leaving 15 years to serve.
The charges stemmed from an attempted robbery incident that happened in May 2017 at the Premier Office and Storage on Virginia Beach Boulevard.
Court documents say Harris and his co-defendant, Paul Tracy, went to the storage to rob the victim after Tracy got into a previous conflict with the victim.
Harris and Tracy went to the storage unit wearing masks, the documents say. Tracy gave Harris a firearm to bring. When they saw the victim leave the storage unit, Tracy struck him with a baseball bat.
When the victim took off running, Harris shot him in the back. All of the men then fled the area. Surveillance cameras captured the incident.
The victim survived the attack but has required several surgeries and has permanent physical impairment.
Cell phone records obtained by investigators showed phone calls between Harris and Tracy, as well as their travel to the area of the crime and then away from the scene immediately after the shooting.
Tracy admitted to police that he provided the firearm to Harris, that they went to the scene for the purpose of robbing the victim, and to striking the victim with the bat. He said he did not know Harris would shoot the victim.
Harris has prior convictions for possession of a Schedule II drug, disorderly conduct, assault and battery of a family member, and multiple probation violations and traffic offenses.