By-Line: Joseph Bober, FCSO
On May 23, Masiah Givens, one of two men arrested for an armed robbery that occurred in February, pleaded no contest to the charge of robbery with a weapon. As part of the agreement, the State Attorney’s Office has recommended Givens, 18, of Palm Coast, be sentenced to three years in state prison, followed by 10 years of probation.
Judge Dawn Nichols of the Seventh Judicial Circuit is set to sentence Givens at a later date. Givens is being held at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility while he awaits sentencing.
“I commend our Major Case Unit detectives for their hard work on this investigation, and I thank our partners at the State Attorney’s Office for their work prosecuting this case,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “While Givens did not admit guilt, taking this plea means that he understands the severity of his case, and now he will likely spend the next few years behind bars because of his actions. This should be a warning that if you use a gun or commit a violent crime in Flagler County, we will come after you, hold you accountable, and you will likely go to prison.”
Givens’ co-defendant, Brandyn Villanueva, is facing charges of criminal conspiracy to commit robbery with a firearm and accessory after the fact to robbery with a firearm.
