Taney County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Merrell announced that STEVEN RAY YOUNGBLOOD (d/o/b 7/13/1985), of Stone County, entered a guilty plea and was sentenced by Judge Mark Orr to twenty-five (25) years in prison Thursday, July 19, 2012. Youngblood entered pleas of guilty to the A felony of robbery in the first degree and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action Thursday, pursuant to a plea agreement. The plea agreement called for Youngblood’s sentences to be capped at twenty-five (25) years on each of the two (2) felony counts, with the sentences to be served concurrently to one another.

Circuit Court Judge Mark Orr offered Youngblood an opportunity to have a pre-sentence report conducted after the guilty plea and before sentencing, however, Youngblood declined. Orr then sentenced Youngblood to the maximum sentence contemplated under the plea agreement.

The charges stemmed from Youngblood’s armed robbery of a White Oak Station convenience store on December 4, 2011. Victims reported that Youngblood placed a black revolver on the store counter and demanded all the money in the register, then fled. On December 7, 2011, Branson Police detectives interviewed Youngblood, after his arrest, and Youngblood admitted to the robbery. Youngblood also led detectives to Reeds Spring so that the revolver used in the robbery could be recovered. That is when it was discovered that the revolver was a BB pistol.

Robbery in the first degree is a class A felony, which carries a maximum sentence of thirty (30) years or life in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Armed criminal action is an unclassified felony with a minimum prison sentence of three (3) years and no maximum.