Sawney sentenced to 22 years for his role in robbery
Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007
Wesley Sawney Jr. was sentenced to 22 years in prison Friday, just more than a week after a Washington County jury found him guilty of helping his brother rob a Springdale bank in April.
Sawney, 27, of Huntsville, was sentenced after his brother, James Glen Sawney, 24, told police this week that his brother drove the getaway vehicle, a red Jeep Cherokee.
James Sawney admitted to pulling a handgun on a teller at the Arkansas National Bank, 2422 E. Robinson Ave., taking $ 8, 200.
Police later found the abandoned Jeep, which had been burned on Hewitt Springs Road east of Springdale.
James Sawney pleaded guilty earlier this week to aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He told 4 th Circuit Judge William Storey at the time of the plea that his brother did not have anything to do with the robbery. Later, after police talked more with James Sawney, he said his brother was involved.
Deputy Prosecutor Bill Jones explained that exchange to Storey on Friday after Wesley Sawney continued to deny involvement.
The denials, as well as tears from Sawney, prefaced the pronouncement.
Storey, acting on the jury's recommendation on Oct. 15, formally sentenced Sawney to 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction for accomplice to aggravated robbery, seven years because a handgun was used, five years for accomplice to theft of property and one year for accomplice to arson. The latter sentence runs concurrent with the 22 years.
Sawney must serve 70 percent of the 17 years (aggravated robbery and the firearm charge ) and one-sixth of the time for the five-year sentence.
Storey told Sawney that he was fortunate he did not receive a more severe sentence given the seriousness of the charge.
Sawney insisted on his innocence and that he did not lie to police about what happened.
"I'm not a liar," Sawney said.
Before the sentence was pronounced, Sawney's lawyer, Jeff Conner, told Storey that his client was dissatisfied with his representation.
Sawney explained to the judge that he wanted to take the stand, which did not happen during the trial, and Conner did not present evidence he wished would be entered during the trial.
Conner asked the court to appoint a public defender - because Sawney said did not have enough money for a private attorney - to continue with further proceedings.
"Mr. Sawney has questioned my loyalty to him. With that in mind, it might be improper for me to represent him," Conner said.
Storey asked if there was a basis for this belief. Conner said he was trying to find this out from his client.
After further questioning of Conner, Storey allowed him to remain as Sawney's lawyer for the sentencing.
Jones said there was talk of the possibility of sentences running concurrently and that he would make a recommendation if Sawney told the truth about what happened.
Sawney said he has told the truth about what happened: that he was not involved in the robbery.
Jones noted that James Sawney had implicated his brother as the driver in the robbery.
He said he thought the plan for the brothers was for one to try to get a better sentence for the other if one pleaded guilty. Jones later said that plan did not work because James Sawney eventually told police what really happened.
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