On Monday, February 26, 2018, CORY DRAPER, d/o/b: 12/9/1989, of Branson, Missouri, entered a guilty plea to the class A felony of robbery in the first degree. Cory Draper was set to begin a jury trial in front of Taney County Circuit Judge Tony Williams next week. Formal sentencing is set for May 15, 2018, at 9:00 a.m.

On November 30, 2016, Cory Draper entered the Branson Target and was observed by Asset Protection personnel concealing an Xbox and related video games, valued at over $180.00 on his person. He was stopped by two uniformed employees when he exited the store. When he was stopped he told the employees they “could not stop him..” and he “…will do what was needed to leave.” When Draper was asked to step back into the store he pushed back his jacket revealing what appeared to be a semi-automatic pistol on his hip and stated he “would do what’s needed to leave.” At that point, employees allowed Draper to leave. He was later apprehended by Branson Police officers, after being identified in a photo-line up.

The class A felony of robbery in the first degree has a range of punishment of a term of not less than ten (10) years and not to exceed thirty (30) years, or life imprisonment, in the Missouri Department of Corrections.